Two suspected shooters allegedly linked to the killing of Haryanvi singer, actor and YouTuber Ankit Balyan were killed in an encounter with Uttar Pradesh Police in Shamli on Monday, August 31, 2026, police said. The suspects were identified as Sumit and Mohit, who investigators suspect were associated with the Gogi gang.
Balyan, 32, was shot dead outside a gym in Shamli's City Kotwali area on August 26. According to investigators, reported by NDTV, four armed attackers arrived on two motorcycles and opened fire as he was entering his Scorpio SUV. Reports said between 16 and 18 rounds were fired at close range, with several bullets striking Balyan in the head and abdomen. He sustained critical injuries and was later declared dead at a community health centre.
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The police encounter took place during an early-morning operation in Shamli's industrial area under the Sadar Kotwali police station. Two alleged shooters were killed, while two other suspects connected to the attack are reportedly still being pursued.
Investigators have been examining a possible gang rivalry behind the murder. A social-media post attributed to a person claiming to represent the Gogi gang reportedly took responsibility for the killing a day after the attack. The post alleged that Balyan had links with rival gangs and referred to his song “Bhari Court Mein Goli Marenge”, which contained references associated with the 2021 Rohini court shooting involving gangster Jitender Mann, alias Gogi.
A possible political angle is also being examined amid speculation that Balyan was considering contesting upcoming local panchayat elections. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav criticised the Uttar Pradesh government over the state's law-and-order situation, as per the reports.
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Balyan, who hailed from Bantikheda village in Shamli district, had built a substantial online following, with more than 3.6 lakh YouTube subscribers and over five lakh Instagram followers. He entered the Haryanvi music industry around 2022 after playing state-level kabaddi and was involved in more than 50 songs as a singer, lyricist and composer.
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