Who Was Rao Danish Ali? AMU Teacher, Out For Tea, Shot Dead On Campus
Masked assailants attacked near the library, uttering chilling words before firing. Police are investigating, reviewing CCTV footage and questioning witnesses to determine the motive behind the murder of the AMU alumnus.
A routine evening walk inside the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) campus turned deadly when a computer teacher was shot dead near one of the institution’s busiest areas, sending shockwaves through the university community.
Rao Danish Ali, 45, was attacked around 9 pm near the Maulana Azad Library while walking with friends. Masked assailants fired at him at close range and fled within seconds, leaving behind a stunned campus that many traverse daily without fear.
Shot During Routine Walk, Attackers Flee
University authorities said they received information about the shooting shortly after it occurred and were told that an injured man was being rushed for medical treatment.
“Around 9 pm, we received information that there had been a shooting near the library and that a man had been injured and was being taken for medical treatment,” the AMU proctor told ANI. “We learned that the man who had been shot has been identified as Rao Danish Ali and he was a teacher at the ABK School of the university.”
According to the proctor, Danish was walking near the Kennedy Auditorium with two colleagues when some masked men approached him, briefly spoke to him and then opened fire from point-blank range. The assailants escaped immediately after the shooting.
Danish collapsed at the spot and was rushed to Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College Hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival, Mohammad Waseem Ali said, as quoted by PTI.
The incident occurred when Danish had gone to the AMU canteen for tea, a daily routine for him, university officials said. He was reportedly shot at least three times after the attackers stopped the group around 8.50 pm and threatened them with pistols.
‘Now You'll Know Me’: Chilling Last Words
Moments before the shooting, one of the attackers allegedly told Danish, “You don’t know me yet, now you will,” NDTV reported. The exchange lasted only seconds before gunfire rang out, witnesses said.
Although CCTV cameras installed near the canteen captured the incident, the footage was unclear due to darkness and fog, the proctor said.
Senior Superintendent of Police Neeraj Kumar, along with other police officials, reached the spot soon after the shooting. An alert was issued, and six police teams were formed to investigate the case.
Kumar said police have spoken to the victim’s family members and colleagues to understand the possible motive behind the killing. CCTV footage from surrounding areas is being examined to trace the attackers’ movements, he added.
Who Was Rao Danish Ali
Rao Danish Ali had been working as a computer science teacher at the university-run ABK High School since 2015. An AMU alumnus, he later joined the institution as a faculty member and has been associated with the campus for over a decade.
He had also served as the captain of the university’s Horse Riding Club and was a familiar face around the library canteen area, which he frequented regularly.
Originally from the Dibai area, Danish was the son of an AMU employee. His father, Professor Hilal, and his mother are both retired staff members of the university. His father-in-law, Fiza Ullah Chaudhary, is a former MLA from the Kanth constituency in Moradabad, according to a Times of India report.
A relative, Mohammad Waseem Ali, said Danish collapsed immediately after being shot and was rushed to the hospital, where doctors could not revive him. Family members said he had been planning to go for umrah in the future.
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