Intruder shoots teacher dead inside UP school, kills himself

MEERUT: A 26-year-old woman teacher was shot dead inside a private school in Lakhimpur Kheri on Monday by a 28-year-old man who entered the campus carrying a country-made pistol and later shot himself, triggering panic among around 350 students present at the time.The attack came barely seven weeks after a private-school teacher in Faridabad was stabbed repeatedly inside her campus by a man who had entered seeking her out.Police identified the victim as Nishat Fatima, a resident of Hidayat Nagar, and the attacker as Saud Ansari, 28, of Naurangabad.SSP Kheri Khyati Garg said Ansari reached Children’s Academy in Shahpura Kothi area around 11.30am, met Fatima and went upstairs with her before an argument broke out.“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 suffered fatal injuries to her head and upper body.Gunshots sent students and staff running for safety while examinations were under way.School management alerted police, who moved children away from the crime scene, cordoned off the corridor and called forensic teams. Investigators recovered four spent cartridges, one live cartridge and the country-made pistol.Police are now examining how Ansari entered the campus with a firearm, his movements inside the two-storey building and security arrangements at the school, including CCTV coverage and visitor-entry procedures.SSP added, “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.”Ansari’s social media posts in the days before the shooting have also become part of the investigation. He had posted photographs with messages such as “Usse Bhool Ja” and, shortly before the attack, uploaded a longer note 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.The incident echoed the Aug 3 Faridabad school killing, when a masked 21-year-old man entered a private school in Sikrona, sought out teacher Sandhya Karhana and stabbed her more than 30 times in roughly 30 seconds after dragging her from the classroom area. The attack, captured on CCTV, had similarly raised questions over how an armed outsider could enter a school and reach a teacher during working hours.Stay updated with the latest Bareilly news. Download the TOI App.