Lucknow, May 7 (IANS): In a sensational daylight killing in Uttar Pradesh, a teacher was shot dead in Basti district Monday when he was going to an education centre to evaluate answer sheets, police said.

The incident took place at Haraiyan in Basti, some 200 km from the state capital.

The victim, identified as Sitaram Chaudhary, was a teacher at the Bhatpurwa Inter College and was on his way to evaluate exam sheets when two bike-borne helmeted youth intercepted him and shot at him from point blank range. After firing several rounds, they escaped before any passerby could react, police said.

Police were investigating and talking to the family members of the slain teacher to ascertain if he had any rivalry or animosity with anyone.

"As soon as the questioning with the family is over, we will focus on the staff of the college where he taught as well as see if some bad elements from the school were hostile towards him," a police officer told IANS.