Two suspected in Ankit Balyan murder case killed in encounter in UP's Shamli

Two suspected sharpshooters wanted in the murder case of Haryanvi singer and YouTuber Ankit Balyan were killed in a police encounter in Uttar Pradesh's Shamli on Monday, police said. A reward of Rs 50,000 each had been announced for information leading to their arrest.

The accused were identified as Mohit, 22, and Sumit, 24, both residents of Sonipat in Haryana. According to a statement issued by Shamli police, the two were injured in an exchange of fire with police near an Indian Gas warehouse on Kairana Road.

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 the district had been placed on high alert following Balyan's killing on August 26. Vehicle checking was also intensified, particularly during the night.

Giving details of Monday's encounter, Singh said police stopped a car and asked those inside to pull over. The occupants allegedly tried to escape and opened fire at the police team. Police retaliated, during which Mohit and Sumit suffered gunshot injuries.

"They were taken to a hospital where doctors declared them dead," Singh said.

Balyan was attacked at around 6.45 pm on August 26 while he was leaving a gym in Shamli's Kotwali area. Police said four men riding two motorcycles opened fire at him. He suffered critical injuries and was taken to a nearby community health centre, where doctors declared him dead.

A video of the shooting later circulated on social media. It purportedly showed Balyan coming out of the gym and walking towards his car when the attackers opened fire.

According to officials, the post-mortem examination found five gunshot injuries on Balyan's body, including two to his head.

Police said questioning of the accused revealed that the shooters had allegedly been hired by absconding gangster Rahul, who is linked to the Gogi gang. A reward of Rs 1 lakh has been announced for Rahul's arrest, police said.

Investigators are also checking a social media post in which an individual allegedly claimed responsibility for Balyan's murder. Police said their investigation indicated that Rahul had allegedly sent the shooters to carry out the killing.

Two SWAT team personnel, Head Constables Harvinder and Pradeep, were also injured by bullets during the exchange of fire, police said.

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

Police said three pistols and 26 cartridges were recovered from the two accused.

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

Police teams and 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 underway at Shamli Kotwali police station, police said.  (with inputs from PTI)