New Delhi, Aug 31 (IANS) The Samajwadi Party on Monday questioned the circumstances surrounding the police encounter in which two accused shooters allegedly involved in the killing of Haryanvi singer and YouTuber Ankit Baliyan were killed, and called for an investigation into the police action.

Samajwadi Party MP, Awadhesh Prasad said the circumstances that led to the encounter should be examined, stressing that even in cases involving serious crimes, the law provides for punishment through due legal process.

“What circumstances and situations arose that led the police to carry out the encounter is a matter of investigation. Under the IPC and CrPC, even if a person is found guilty of the most serious crime, the law provides for punishment, including the death penalty or life imprisonment. Therefore, the circumstances under which this encounter took place need to be investigated,” Prasad said in Ayodhya.

The remarks came as the police encounter following Baliyan’s killing drew scrutiny from the Opposition, with the SP questioning whether the circumstances leading to the deaths of the two accused should be independently examined.

In Lucknow, SP spokesperson Ashutosh Verma also criticised the handling of the murder case, questioning why authorities were unable to prevent such incidents before they occurred.

“The Central Government and the Uttar Pradesh Police need to understand one thing: Why are you not alert before such incidents occur? Earlier, you failed to prevent the murder of Sidhu Moose Wala in Punjab, and now you failed to prevent the murder of Ankit Baliyan. If any crime was prevented, then it’s called policing, and if encounter is done after crimes happened, then it’s called pressure policing,” Verma said.

Two accused shooters allegedly involved in Baliyan’s murder were killed in an encounter with police in Uttar Pradesh’s Shamli, officials said. The accused were identified as 24-year-old Sumit and 22-year-old Mohit, both residents of Haryana’s Sonipat and allegedly associated with the Gogi gang.

Police said both carried a reward of Rs 50,000 each, while around 14 cases were registered against Mohit in Haryana and one case against Sumit. Two other accused linked to the murder remain absconding, and efforts are underway to trace them.

Baliyan was shot dead outside his gym in Shamli on August 26 after four assailants allegedly arrived on two motorcycles and opened fire at him. A day later, a person claiming to be associated with the Gogi gang took responsibility for the killing through a social media post.

Shamli SP Narendra Pratap Singh said police teams had conducted an extensive checking drive across the district from midnight until morning. During the operation, two youths on a motorcycle bearing a Baghpat registration number allegedly opened fire at police personnel after being signalled to stop and fled towards the Kotwali area.

The SP said the accused again opened fire when police teams attempted to intercept them during checking in the Kotwali area, leading to the encounter.

–IANS

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