Uttar Pradesh rights panel seeks report on encounter deaths of Ankit Balyan murder suspects

The Uttar Pradesh State Human Rights Commission on Thursday (September 3, 2026) sought a detailed report from the District Magistrate (DM) of Shamli into the deaths of Mohit and Sumit — allegedly involved in the murder of Haryanvi singer Ankit Balyan — in a police encounter.

The Commission sought the report based on a complaint filed by Amitabh Thakur, a former Indian Police Service (IPS) officer and national president of the Azad Adhikar Sena.

“The Uttar Pradesh State Human Rights Commission has sought a detailed report from the District Magistrate, Shamli, on the complaint, I sought an independent inquiry into the death of alleged accused Mohit and Sumit in a police encounter in connection with the Ankit Balyan murder case in Shamli. The Commission has directed that the report be submitted by November 13, 2026 and has listed the matter for November 16, 2026,” Mr. Thakur, a 1992-batch former IPS officer of the U.P. cadre, told The Hindu.

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Police encounter

Mohit and Sumit were killed in an encounter with the Shamli police and the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team and the two men carried a reward of ₹50,000 each, the police said on Monday. In its order, the Commission noted that the Superintendent of Police, Shamli, informed it about the deaths in a communication dated August 31.

Mr. Thakur stated in his complaint that an impartial inquiry was necessary into the circumstances of the case, amid allegations that the police apprehended the two accused and then killed them in a fake encounter.

He also sought an independent inquiry into the statement of Sumit’s father, Dharampal, who alleged that the police subjected Sumit’s brother to third-degree treatment. Ankit Balyan was shot dead outside his gym in Shamli by four assailants on two motorcycles on August 26. Two other suspects are currently on the run.