The investigation into the alleged murder of Haryanvi singer Ankit Baliyan widened after Shamli Police arrested jailed gangsters Yogesh Tunda and Deepak Boxer, who are lodged in Delhi’s Tihar Jail, in connection with the suspected conspiracy, officials said.
The two accused were produced under heavy security arrangements and taken on judicial remand, according to the police. Shamli Police have also sought the remand of two other men lodged in Tihar Jail, identified as Rohit Moi and Dinesh Kalariya.
Shamli Superintendent of Police Nagendra Pratap confirmed the developments to The Indian Express and said the investigation was underway. Police are examining the alleged roles of Tunda, Boxer, Moi and Kalariya, along with their suspected links to other members of the gang.
Baliyan, 28, was shot dead outside a gym in the Kotwali area of Shamli on August 26. He was originally from Bantikhera village in Shamli. Investigators suspect that the killing was linked partly to a Haryanvi song titled “Court mein goli”, which Baliyan had sung.
According to police, members of the gang allegedly believed that the song had demeaned their slain leader Jitender Gogi. Gogi was shot dead inside Delhi’s Rohini court complex in September 2021 by members of the rival Tillu Tajpuriya gang. Tillu was later murdered inside Tihar Jail in May 2023, and Tunda was among those accused of killing him.
Police suspect that Bholu Shahpuriya may have orchestrated Baliyan’s killing by directing the alleged shooters on the instructions of Moi. Shahpuriya is wanted in connection with a triple-murder case in Yamuna Nagar, Haryana, and carries a reward of Rs 1 lakh, according to the police.
Investigators are also examining whether the killing was intended to establish the gang’s dominance in Shamli and nearby areas. Police said extortion was a primary motive behind the gang’s activities and are probing whether the murder was meant to reinforce the group’s influence in the region.
The case has raised questions about the alleged chain of communication linking inmates of a high-security prison with criminal activity outside the facility. Police are continuing to investigate how instructions may have been transmitted and what roles the accused and their associates allegedly played in the killing.
The allegations against Tunda, Boxer, Moi, Kalariya and the other suspects have not been established in court. The next steps in the case will depend on the remand proceedings and the evidence collected by Shamli Police.
