SHAMLI: Chilling CCTV footage captures the final moments of Haryanvi singer and YouTuber Ankit Balyan as four armed assailants approach him and open fire outside a gym in Shamli on Wednesday evening.In the footage, Balyan is seen walking out of the gym wearing black clothes and carrying a bag. He then walks towards his Scorpio SUV, apparently unaware that armed assailants are waiting for him outside.Then, four attackers arrived on two motorcycles and opened fire on Balyan around 6.45pm in the Kotwali area. Preliminary information suggests around 18 rounds were fired at him in the point-blank attack.Police and eyewitness accounts said Balyan tried to move towards the co-driver’s side of his SUV, apparently attempting to shield himself. A wall obstructed the driver’s side.The attackers allegedly pulled open the vehicle door and fired repeatedly at close range. Five bullets reportedly struck him in the head and abdomen, while three hit the front windshield of the SUV.Balyan was rushed to a nearby community health centre, where he was declared dead.The murder has now led investigators to examine a possible gang-war angle, after a social media post by Bholu Shahpuriya, who is purportedly linked to the Gogi gang, claimed responsibility for the killing.The post alleged that Balyan had been supporting the gang’s enemies and had made a song about the killing of gangster Jitender Mann alias Gogi. It also warned that those supporting the gang’s rivals would face a similar fate.Police, however, have not established the gang-war theory as the motive.Meerut Zone ADG Bhanu Bhaskar told TOI, “The theory of a fallout of the gang war is strong… We’ve formed several teams and are working on all possible angles. As far as involvement of a song and the related gang war, we do not have any evidence to establish the same yet. But we have received important leads and will soon arrest the killers and crack the case.”Seven specialised teams have been formed to track the assailants, while UP STF personnel are also working on the case. Around four special teams, including STF personnel, are operating in Haryana, while DIG Saharanpur is overseeing teams from Shamli, Muzaffarnagar and Baghpat.
Song that drew investigators’ attention
Investigators are also examining Balyan’s music and social media activity. One of his most popular tracks, “Bhari Court Mein Goli Marenge”, has crossed 54 million views and features lyrics about shooting someone inside a court, with references to attackers disguised as lawyers.The song was released in February 2023 and has drawn attention because of its similarities to the September 2021 killing of gangster Gogi inside a courtroom at Delhi’s Rohini court.On September 24, 2021, two shooters dressed as lawyers entered Rohini courtroom number 207 and opened fire on Gogi. They fired 18 bullets before being killed in retaliatory fire by police. Investigators later alleged that Tillu Tajpuria had orchestrated the attack.Tillu was subsequently killed inside Tihar Jail in May 2023, when Gogi gang members allegedly stabbed him repeatedly. Goldy Brar of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang later claimed responsibility for the killing, calling it revenge for Gogi’s death.Investigators are now examining whether Balyan’s song, his alleged associations and the wider gang rivalry had any connection with his murder.Hours before his death, Balyan had also posted a video on social media in which he sang lines from his song “Baby Badmash”, including a reference to a murder on the road. Police are examining the timing and content of his social media activity.
From kabaddi to Haryanvi music
Balyan, a resident of Bantikheda village in Shamli, had built a substantial following through Haryanvi music. His YouTube channel had more than 3.6 lakh subscribers, while his Instagram account had nearly five lakh followers.His songs frequently featured guns, SUVs, fights and themes of rivalry and defiance. Among his popular tracks were “Bhari Court Mein Goli Marenge”, “Body Builder”, “PTI” and “Ek Khtola Jail Ke Bhitar”.Music, however, was not his original career plan. His brother Kapil said Balyan had played state-level kabaddi until around 2013-14 and participated in competitions in Delhi, Bhopal and other places. He was forced to give up the sport after suffering a leg fracture and later joined a gym.Around 2022, he began pursuing music seriously. Over the following years, he worked on more than 50 songs as a singer, lyricist and composer.Balyan was reportedly working on more than 20 new Haryanvi songs that were scheduled for release next month. His family also said he was preparing to contest the district panchayat member election from his village and hoped to enter Bollywood.
Family demands arrests
The killing triggered protests in Shamli, with Balyan’s family members, supporters and villagers blocking the Delhi-Muzaffarnagar Road, around 50 metres from the shooting site.Relatives placed his body on the road and demanded the immediate arrest of the attackers. The blockade continued until officials intervened and persuaded the protesters to leave.Balyan’s father Satveer Singh said his son had no enmity with anyone.“My son had no enmity with anyone. Whatever work he had was in Haryana. We want nothing except the arrest of the killers,” he said.Balyan’s last rites were performed at his native village Bantikheda after the post-mortem on Thursday.The killing has also triggered a political row, with Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Congress targeting the BJP-led Uttar Pradesh government over the law-and-order situation and demanding a thorough probe into the circumstances surrounding the murder.Police said they were examining CCTV footage, social media activity and possible links to Haryana while pursuing multiple angles in the case.
