A 26-year-old schoolteacher was shot dead inside a private school in Uttar Pradesh’s Lakhimpur Kheri on Monday by a 28-year-old man who allegedly entered the campus carrying a country-made pistol.
A 26-year-old schoolteacher was shot dead inside a private school in Uttar Pradesh’s Lakhimpur Kheri on Monday by a 28-year-old man who allegedly entered the campus carrying a country-made pistol. The attacker later turned the gun on himself, sending nearly 350 students and staff into panic.
Police identified the victim as Nishat Fatima, a resident of Hidayat Nagar, and the attacker as Saud Ansari, 28, from Naurangabad. The shooting took place at Children’s Academy in the Shahpura Kothi area around 11.30 am.
According to SSP Kheri Khyati Garg, Ansari met Fatima after entering the school and accompanied her upstairs. An argument reportedly broke out before he opened fire.
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“He took out a country-made pistol and fired three rounds at her at close range. He then shot himself. Both died on the spot,” Garg told TOI.
Police said Fatima sustained fatal injuries to her head and upper body. The sound of gunfire triggered chaos inside the school, with students and staff rushing away from the area while their examinations were in progress.
School management alerted the police, who evacuated students from the vicinity of the crime scene and cordoned off the corridor. Forensic teams were also called to examine the spot.
Police recovered four spent cartridges, one live cartridge and the country-made pistol from the scene. Police are now probing how Ansari managed to enter the school with a firearm, tracing his movements through the two-storey building and examining the institution’s security arrangements, including CCTV coverage and visitor-entry procedures.
Family alleges harassment, marriage pressure
Police said the victim’s family had alleged that Ansari had been forcing Fatima to marry him. Her brother, Shadab Akhter, subsequently filed a complaint, based on which an FIR was registered against Ansari under BNS Section 103 (murder) and against his parents under Section 61(2) (criminal conspiracy).
SSP Garg said, “The accused had been forcing the victim to marry, as alleged by the woman’s family in the complaint. The victim’s brother, Shadab Akhter, has filed a complaint, following which an FIR has been filed against the accused Ansari under BNS section 103 (murder) and section 61(2) (criminal conspiracy) against Ansari’s parents. Shadab alleged that they had informed the parents that their son was harassing Fatima, but they didn’t take any action and, at their behest, he committed the crime.”
‘Usse Bhool Ja’: Attacker’s social media posts under scanner
Ansari’s social media activity in the days leading up to the shooting has also come under police’s scrutiny. He had uploaded photographs accompanied by messages including “Usse Bhool Ja”.
Shortly before the attack, he also posted a longer message asking people to delete his photographs and messages after his death.
“In this world nothing is permanent, no one is permanent. We came in this world so we have to leave this world for sure,” part of the post read.
Police are examining the posts as part of their efforts to establish what happened in the hours and days before the shooting.
Lakhimpur Kheri shooting echoes Faridabad school killing
The incident has also drawn comparisons with a similar attack at a private school in Faridabad on August 3, when a masked 21-year-old man allegedly entered the campus, sought out teacher Sandhya Karhana and repeatedly stabbed her.
The attacker reportedly dragged Karhana from the classroom area before stabbing her more than 30 times in around 30 seconds. The attack was captured on CCTV and raised questions over how an outsider carrying a weapon could enter a school and reach a teacher during working hours.
