About an hour before being murdered by armed assailants who fired 18 rounds at him, Haryanvi singer and YouTuber Ankit Balyan had on Wednesday posted a video on his Instagram handle in which he was seen sitting in a car and singing a song about murder.
Balyan was allegedly shot dead by four armed assailants outside a gym near the Aryapuri drain embankment in Uttar Pradesh's Shamli at around 7 pm on Wednesday, HT earlier reported, citing police.
According to the police, witnesses said the attackers were waiting outside the gym and opened fire as Balyan came out and approached his SUV. They allegedly forced open the vehicle’s door and fired at him before fleeing on motorcycles without registration plates
Deep Dive
What were the circumstances surrounding Ankit Balyan's murder?
What motive is being investigated for Ankit Balyan's murder?
How did Ankit Balyan's last social media post relate to his murder?
The assailants allegedly fired around 18 rounds at him, said police.
Reel on murder song before murder
Hours before the murder, Ankit Balyan took to his Instagram handle and shared a video of him singing two lines of a song, asking his fans to share the same.
{{/usCountry}}Hours before the murder, Ankit Balyan took to his Instagram handle and shared a video of him singing two lines of a song, asking his fans to share the same.
{{/usCountry}}Murder maar de sadak ke upar… Jo katkega, woh batkega, saara bach jaavega [Commit the murder on the road …Whoever gets cut down will be scattered Everyone else will survive], he sings.
"….apne laadley bhai ude Ye line share kar do Jai Baba Ji, Jai Bharat [ Brothers, share this line for your beloved brother], he adds.
The murder triggered protests, with Balyan’s family and supporters blocking the Delhi-Muzaffarnagar road near Verma Market Tiraha, around 50 metres from where he was allegedly shot at.
The protest prompted heavy police deployment, while protesters demanded immediate arrests and action against those responsible.
Who is Ankit Balyan
Balyan, a resident of Bantikheda village, had gained popularity through Haryanvi songs, many of which featured gun culture. He has over 440k followers on Instagram, while his YouTube subscriber count over 3.67 lakh.
Balyan faced an FIR in 2023 after a roadshow in Shamli was allegedly held without permission.
“Several teams have been formed to establish the motive behind Ankit Balyan’s murder and arrest the accused. All possible angles are being investigated [sic],” the earlier HT report quoted SP (Shamli) NP Singh as saying.
Police and forensic teams reached the spot and recovered empty cartridges. CCTV footage from the area was being examined to identify the assailants.
Police teams had been sent to possible hideouts in Haryana, including Panipat, and Punjab. Cops suspected the attackers could be from Haryana.