Ankit Balyan murder case: Two suspected shooters killed in UP police encounter

Shamli: Two suspected shooters wanted in connection with the murder of Haryanvi singer and YouTuber Ankit Balyan were killed in a police encounter in Uttar Pradesh's Shamli on Monday, police said.

The two men, identified as Mohit, 22, and Sumit, 24, both from Sonipat in Haryana, were carrying a reward of ₹50,000 each. They were injured in retaliatory firing by police near an Indian Gas warehouse on Kairana Road, according to a statement issued by the Shamli police.

The injured men were taken to the District Joint Hospital in Shamli, where doctors declared them dead during treatment, police said.

Shamli Superintendent of Police Narendra Pratap Singh said a high alert had been sounded in the district following Balyan's murder on August 26, with intensified vehicle checks during night hours.

Explaining the encounter, Singh said police intercepted a car and asked its occupants to stop. The occupants allegedly fled and opened fire at the police team, prompting retaliatory firing. Mohit and Sumit sustained bullet injuries in the exchange and were taken to hospital, where they were declared dead.

Balyan was leaving a gym in the Kotwali area of Shamli around 6.45 pm on August 26 when four assailants on two motorcycles opened fire on him. He sustained critical injuries and was taken to a nearby community health centre, where doctors declared him dead.

A video of the attack later surfaced on social media, purportedly showing Balyan emerging from the gym and walking towards his car when the shooting took place.

The post-mortem examination confirmed that Balyan sustained five gunshot injuries, including two to the head, officials said.

Police said interrogation of the two suspects indicated that they had allegedly been hired by absconding gangster Rahul, who is associated with the Gogi gang. A reward of ₹1 lakh has been announced for information leading to Rahul's arrest, according to police.

Police are also verifying a purported social media post in which a person claimed responsibility for Balyan's killing. Officials said the investigation indicated that Rahul had allegedly sent the shooters.

Two SWAT team personnel, Head Constables Harvinder and Pradeep, also sustained bullet injuries in the exchange of fire, police said.

Personnel from the Shamli Kotwali and Jhinjhana police stations, along with the Shamli SWAT team, took part in the operation.

Police recovered three pistols and 26 cartridges from the two suspects.

Mohit had around 14 cases registered against him in Haryana, while Sumit had one criminal case, police said. Their other criminal records are being verified.

Police teams, along with the Uttar Pradesh STF, are conducting a joint operation to arrest the remaining accused in the murder case.

Further legal proceedings related to the encounter are under way at the Shamli Kotwali police station, police said.