Two accused in Ankit Balyan murder case killed in UP Police encounter

Two men accused of involvement in the killing of Haryanvi singer and YouTuber Ankit Balyan were killed in an encounter with the Uttar Pradesh Police in Shamli on Monday, officials said.

The accused were identified as Sumit, 24, and Mohit, 22, both residents of Sonipat in Haryana. Police alleged that the two were associated with the Gogi gang and carried rewards of Rs 50,000 each.

According to the police, Mohit faced around 14 criminal cases in Haryana, while one case had been registered against Sumit. Two other suspects allegedly involved in Balyan’s murder remain at large, and police teams are searching for them.

Balyan was shot dead outside his gym in Shamli on 26 August. Police said four assailants arrived on two motorcycles and opened fire, killing him at the scene. The following day, an individual claiming an association with the Gogi gang purportedly took responsibility for the attack in a social media post.

Shamli Superintendent of Police Narendra Pratap Singh said a district-wide blockade and vehicle-checking operation had been under way since midnight when officers spotted two men travelling on a motorcycle bearing a Baghpat registration number.

“From 12 a.m. until morning, a blockade and checking drive was in place across the district. During this operation, police personnel were checking vehicles when two youths arrived on a motorcycle bearing a Baghpat registration number. When the police signalled them to stop and called out to them, they immediately opened fire at the police vehicle and personnel before turning around and fleeing towards the Kotwali side,” Singh said.

Police claimed the two men fired again when personnel attempted to intercept them in the Kotwali area. A Special Weapons and Tactics team was subsequently deployed, leading to an exchange of fire.

“During checking in Kotwali, the youths fired at the officials and tried to escape... When our SWAT team reached the spot, the accused started firing at the police personnel... The police retaliated, and during the exchange of fire, both accused sustained serious injuries... They were taken to the hospital, where we later received information that they had succumbed to their injuries,” the SP said.

Police said they recovered two 9mm pistols, a .32-calibre pistol, 26 live cartridges and around 15 spent cartridge cases from the suspects.

Singh claimed the two men disclosed details of the alleged murder conspiracy while they were being taken to hospital. According to the officer, they named Rahul, described by police as a Haryana-based criminal, as the person who had arranged money and weapons for the attack.

“When our team questioned them in detail after they were injured while they were being taken to the hospital, they revealed that a notorious criminal from Haryana, named Rahul, had sent them. He provided them with money, arranged the pistols and told them that others coming from outside would meet them on 26 August,” Singh said.

Police alleged that the four shooters travelled to Shamli by different routes, assembled at a predetermined location and then attacked Balyan outside the gym.

The investigation into the killing and the alleged role of the Gogi gang is continuing, while efforts are under way to apprehend the two remaining suspects.

With IANS inputs