‘Take Us to UP in Shackles and Bulletproof Jackets’: Undertrials Fear Fake Encounter, Delhi Court Accepts Plea
In an unusual development, two undertrial prisoners accused in the murder of Haryanvi singer Ankit Baliyan have requested a Delhi court to ensure that they are taken to Uttar Pradesh wearing handcuffs, leg shackles and bulletproof jackets, citing fears of a possible fake encounter by the Uttar Pradesh Police. The court has accepted their request and directed the concerned authorities to make the necessary security arrangements.
The two accused have been identified as Deepak alias Teetar and Yogesh alias Tunda. Both are currently lodged in Tihar Jail, Delhi, and are required to be produced before the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) court in Shamli, Uttar Pradesh, in connection with the ongoing investigation into the singer’s murder.
The directions were issued by Additional Sessions Judge Saurabh Pratap Singh Laler of the Patiala House Courts in an order dated November 3, 2026. The court considered an application filed on behalf of the two undertrials seeking additional protection during their transportation from Delhi to Shamli and back.
According to their lawyers, the accused apprehended that they could be subjected to a fake encounter by the Uttar Pradesh Police during transit or while being produced before the court. Their counsel informed the court that the prisoners themselves had requested that they be transported with handcuffs and shackles on both their hands and feet.
Accepting the application, the court directed the Tihar Jail authorities to ensure that both accused are taken to the Shamli court wearing handcuffs, leg shackles and bulletproof jackets. The directions also require the authorities to ensure their safe return to Delhi after the court proceedings.
The court further directed the jail administration and the Deputy Commissioner of Police, North Avenue, to provide full protection to the undertrials throughout the journey and during their production before the Shamli court. The authorities were specifically instructed to ensure that no untoward incident takes place.
The court also ordered that copies of its directions be immediately forwarded to the Superintendent of Jail No. 5 and the concerned police officials so that the security arrangements could be implemented without delay.
The case relates to the murder of Haryanvi singer Ankit Baliyan, who was shot dead outside a gym in the Kotwali area of Shamli on August 26, 2026. The killing triggered an investigation into the alleged involvement of members associated with the Jitender Gogi gang.
Investigators suspect that the singer was targeted because of a song titled Bhari Court Mein Goli Marenge Meri Jaan. According to the police investigation, members of the alleged gang suspected that the song’s lyrics mocked the killing of their leader, Jitender Gogi, who was shot dead inside a Delhi courtroom in 2021 by members of a rival gang.
Police have also reportedly examined earlier threats allegedly issued to the singer during 2022–23. Baliyan had reportedly maintained that he had only appeared in the music video and had no involvement in writing its lyrics or composing its music.
The unusual court order has drawn attention because the two accused have sought physical restraints and additional protective equipment as safeguards against the very authorities responsible for transporting them. However, the court’s directions concern the specific security arrangements requested by the undertrials and do not establish that any fake encounter was planned or would have taken place.
The matter also highlights the importance of ensuring the safety of individuals in judicial custody during transportation and court production, irrespective of the seriousness of the allegations against them. Both accused remain undertrials, and the charges against them have yet to be established through a completed criminal trial.
