Ankit Baliyan, a 32-year-old Haryanvi singer and YouTuber, was shot dead outside a gym near Shamli Kotwali on August 26 after four men arrived on two motorcycles and opened fire. The Gogi gang later claimed responsibility, citing rivalry links and a song associated with the singer as motive.
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Five Days, One Blockade, Two Bodies
Investigators say CCTV footage and local inquiries quickly identified four shooters fleeing on two bikes. Shamli SP Narendra Pratap Singh described mobilising the SWAT team, surveillance unit, all station house officers, and senior city and Kairana officials to the case, then ordering a midnight-to-6 AM blockade to seal the district.
“I had ordered the implementation of a blockade plan from midnight to 6.00 AM to ensure no vehicle could enter the district.”
That containment strategy trapped two of the accused, Sumit and Mohit, both residents of Sonipat in Haryana, during a routine checkpoint sweep near an Indian Gas godown on Kairana Road.
The Encounter Itself
Police allege the two suspects opened fire on personnel when confronted, injuring two SWAT head constables, Harvinder and Pradeep, before retaliatory firing left both men dead. They were taken to District Joint Hospital, where doctors declared them dead. Two pistols, live cartridges, and spent 30-bore casings were recovered from the site.
Questions Behind the Speed
What is drawing scrutiny is less the outcome and more the pace, a full district blockade, coordinated multi-unit deployment, and a fatal encounter, all executed within five days of the murder. Police say the accused revealed under questioning that a Haryana-based criminal named Rahul had funded and armed them. Two more suspects remain absconding, with the investigation ongoing.
The episode adds to Uttar Pradesh’s long-running pattern of high-speed “encounter” operations, which continue to draw both praise for swift justice and concern over due process.
