2 Suspects in Singer Ankit Balyan Murder Killed in Police Encounter

Two suspected shooters wanted in the murder of Haryanvi singer and YouTuber Ankit Balyan were killed in a police encounter in Uttar Pradesh’s Shamli, police said.

The suspects were identified as 24-year-old Sumit and 22-year-old Mohit, both residents of Sonipat, Haryana. Police said the duo were allegedly associated with the Gogi gang and carried a reward of ₹50,000 each.

According to police, around 14 criminal cases were registered against Mohit in Haryana, while Sumit had one case against him.

Balyan was shot dead outside his gym in Shamli on August 26, when four armed assailants reportedly arrived on two motorcycles and opened fire.

A video of the attack later surfaced on social media. The footage showed Balyan leaving the gym and walking towards his car when the attackers approached and allegedly fired at least 16 rounds at him.

A day after the murder, an individual claiming to be a member of the Gogi gang allegedly took responsibility for the killing in a social media post.

Two other suspects in the case remain at large.

The case also triggered political criticism, with the Samajwadi Party and Congress questioning the BJP-led Uttar Pradesh government’s handling of law and order.

The development came after Balyan’s wife reportedly threatened to immolate herself outside the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister’s residence if the killers were not arrested within four days. Senior police officials subsequently visited the family on Saturday.