Three members of the same family were gunned down at a fitness center in Uttar Pradesh after a seemingly innocent birthday tradition escalated into deadly violence, authorities said.
Amardeep Saini, Manish Saini and Akash Saini were killed late April 25, 2026, at RJS Fitness Gym in Khurja, located in the Bulandshahr district approximately 85 kilometers southeast of New Delhi. Police say the shooting suspect, Jeetu Saini — whose birthday was being celebrated — fled after friends smeared cake on his face, then came back roughly an hour later armed with multiple firearms.
According to investigators, the attack was carried out with seven or eight weapons, including a licensed pistol belonging to the suspect’s brother. The brother of victim Manish Saini, identified as Sanjay Saini, said the armed group opened fire immediately upon their return.
“They immediately started firing the moment they arrived and didn’t give anyone a chance,” Sanjay told reporters. He explained that Jeetu’s group had called him claiming his brother was being verbally abusive toward them, but he was traveling to a wedding and told them he would resolve matters the next morning. His plea went unheeded.
Sanjay Saini said Manish was his younger brother, Akash his nephew and Amardeep was his uncle’s son. The PTI news agency listed Amardeep as 30, Manish as 28 and Akash as 18, while other outlets gave different figures.
Police said all three victims sustained multiple gunshot wounds and were pronounced dead when they reached the hospital. Investigators said Akash was shot in the head after being chased as he attempted to escape the building.
The shooting began during what had started as a typical birthday party on the gym’s first floor. During the cake-cutting ceremony, several attendees smeared cake on Jeetu Saini’s face — a common celebratory gesture that quickly devolved into an argument between two groups of young men, police said. Authorities noted that alcohol was flowing at the party, and liquor bottles and beer cans were later found at the scene.
Enraged by the incident, Saini left the venue. Officials say he returned about an hour later with multiple accomplices and the weapons cache that would be used in the attack.
Panicked partygoers scrambled for safety, diving behind gym equipment as gunfire erupted across the upper floor. The attackers allegedly took the CCTV DVR with them as they fled in an attempt to eliminate evidence of the shooting.
Officers responded to reports of gunfire in the Khurja Nagar area and secured the gym as a crime scene. A formal case was lodged at the Khurja Nagar police station, naming 10 people in connection with murder and rioting.
Authorities have arrested three suspects — identified as Rupesh, Mayank and Naresh — in connection with the killings, police said. On April 27, suspect Mayank Saini was shot in the leg during a police encounter after he allegedly attempted to escape custody and fired at officers while leading them to a concealed illegal firearm hidden under a flyover. More than 15 people have been brought in for questioning, according to officials. Jeetu Saini himself remains at large.
“The field unit is on the scene. They have collected some evidence, which will be analysed separately. At present, it is reported that there was some disagreement between them, due to which a fight broke out,” Meerut Range Deputy Inspector General Kalanidhi Naithani said.
While the cake-smearing appears to have triggered the violence, investigators believe the roots of the conflict may run deeper. An old rivalry, possibly connected to a local dharamshala and disputes over area dominance, may have played a role in escalating what should have been a harmless birthday joke into a deadly confrontation. Officers are examining whether tensions between the two factions had been simmering long before the celebration.
Forensic teams have combed the gym for evidence, and investigators are scouring CCTV footage from surrounding businesses and streets, hoping to track the suspects’ movements after the shooting. Investigators have also been working to recover or reconstruct footage from the removed DVR, hoping the system may yield critical evidence. Forensic samples gathered from the gym, including bullet casings and blood evidence, are being analyzed at a state laboratory.
Police teams have fanned out across Bulandshahr and neighboring districts in pursuit of Jeetu Saini and the remaining suspects believed to have helped him carry out the attack. Roadblocks and checkpoints have been set up, and authorities say efforts to apprehend those still at large are intensifying.
The killings have stunned residents of Khurja, where the Saini family is well known. The gym, which doubled as a community gathering spot, was decorated for what was supposed to be a joyful occasion. Instead, party guests scrambled to hide between weight racks and behind equipment as bullets sprayed across the upper floor. By the time officers arrived, three men were dead and the gunmen had vanished into the night.
For the Saini family, the loss of three men in a single burst of gunfire has been devastating. Amardeep and Manish were engaged in farming, while Akash had been searching for work. Relatives gathered outside the hospital on Sunday, demanding swift justice and the immediate arrest of the birthday boy whose alleged rage transformed a celebration into a massacre.