A birthday celebration at a gym in northern India spiraled into a horrific triple homicide after partygoers allegedly smeared cake on the birthday boy’s face, prompting him to storm out, return with an arsenal of weapons and gun down three men, according to police.
The bloodbath unfolded late April 25, 2026, at RJS Fitness Gym on Subhash Road in Khurja, in the Bulandshahr district of Uttar Pradesh, about 85 kilometers southeast of New Delhi. The party was being thrown for Jeetu Saini, who turned on members of his own community after what began as a lighthearted prank.
A Prank That Triggered Fury
According to police, the trouble started during the cake-cutting ceremony on the first floor of the gym, when some of those present smeared cake on Saini’s face. The playful gesture quickly soured into a heated argument between two groups of young men. Police said alcohol was being consumed at the party, and officers later recovered liquor bottles and beer cans from the scene.
Furious, Saini stormed out of the venue. Officials say he returned about an hour later with several accomplices and a cache of firearms, including his brother’s licensed pistol. The brother of one of the victims, Sanjay Saini, said that Jeetu and his associates came back armed with seven or eight weapons.
“They immediately started firing the moment they arrived and didn’t give anyone a chance,” Sanjay told reporters. He added that he had received a phone call from Jeetu’s group claiming his brother was being verbally abusive toward them, and attempted to defuse the situation, telling them he would sort it out in the morning — he was on his way to a wedding at the time. His plea went unheeded.
Three Men From the Same Family Shot Dead
The victims — Amardeep Saini, Manish Saini and Akash Saini — all belonged to the same family. Sanjay Saini said that Manish was his younger brother, Akash his nephew and Amardeep was his uncle’s son. Indian outlets gave conflicting ages for the three men. The PTI news agency listed Amardeep as 30, Manish as 28 and Akash as 18, while other outlets gave different figures.
All three were struck multiple times and were declared dead upon arrival at the hospital, according to police. Akash was chased as he tried to flee the building and was shot in the head, investigators said.
The gunfire sent panic ripping through the gym as partygoers dove for cover behind equipment. Before fleeing, the attackers allegedly removed the CCTV DVR in a bid to destroy evidence of the rampage.
Three Suspects Arrested; Manhunt Continues
Officers raced to the Khurja Nagar area after reports of gunfire and cordoned off 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.
Three suspects — identified as Rupesh, Mayank and Naresh — have been arrested 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.
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.
“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.
Police Probe Deeper Rivalry
Naithani said the killings stemmed from a clash between two groups of youths. While the cake-smearing incident appears to have lit the fuse, investigators believe the dispute may have deeper roots.
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.
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.
Search Expands Across the Region
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.
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.
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.
