Rao Danish Ali, a teacher at Aligarh Muslim University, was shot dead near Maulana Azad Library by unidentified assailants. Police are investigating and scanning CCTV footage. (AI Image)

A teacher at Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) was shot dead by unidentified assailants inside the university campus in Uttar Pradesh’s Aligarh on Wednesday night, police and university officials said.

The victim was identified as Rao Danish Ali, also known as Danish Rao, a computer science teacher at the university’s ABK High School, where he had been teaching for the past 11 years. The shooting took place around 8:50–9 pm near the Maulana Azad Library area.

According to officials and reports, Ali was out on his routine evening walk with two colleagues when two men on a scooter stopped them and allegedly threatened them with pistols. One of the assailants reportedly told Ali, “You don’t know me yet, now you will,” before opening fire. Ali was shot at least three times, including twice in the head, before the attackers fled the scene.

AMU Proctor Mohd. Wasim Ali said the university was alerted to a shooting near the library and that the injured teacher was immediately rushed for treatment. “We were informed that a man had been shot near the library and taken to the medical college. He was identified as Danish Rao, a teacher at the ABK School. He was shot in the head and later died at the medical college,” he told reporters.

Ali was taken to Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, where doctors declared him dead on arrival.

Senior Superintendent of Police Neeraj Jadon confirmed that two unidentified men were involved in the shooting. Police have formed six investigation teams and are scanning CCTV footage from the campus and surrounding areas to identify and track down the assailants. The motive behind the killing remains unknown.

The killing has sent shockwaves through the university community and comes just hours after Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath spoke in the state Assembly about improved law and order in the state, citing a better security environment as a factor attracting investment.