Haryanvi singer and YouTuber Ankiit Balyann posted a video on Instagram shortly before he was shot dead in Uttar Pradesh’s Shamli on Wednesday. In the reel, Balyann is seen sitting inside a car and singing lines from a song about murder.
Around an hour later, he was allegedly attacked by four armed men outside a gym near the Aryapuri drain embankment. Police said the assailants fired around 18 rounds at him.
What happened outside the gym
According to police, the attackers were waiting near the gym when Balyann came out and walked towards his SUV. The assailants allegedly forced open the vehicle’s door and opened fire before escaping on motorcycles without registration plates.
Balyann was rushed for treatment but was allegedly shot multiple times in the attack.
Police and forensic teams reached the spot and recovered empty cartridges. CCTV footage from the area was being examined to identify those involved in the shooting.
His last Instagram reel
The video shared by Balyann before the shooting showed him singing two lines from a murder-themed song and asking his followers to share it.
“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.
He then added, "….apne laadley bhai ude Ye line share kar do Jai Baba Ji, Jai Bharat (brothers, share this line for your beloved brother)."
The timing of the reel, posted shortly before the killing, has drawn attention following his death.
Family, supporters protest
The killing led to protests by Balyann’s family and supporters, who blocked the Delhi-Muzaffarnagar road near Verma Market Tiraha, around 50 metres from the spot where he was allegedly attacked.
Police were deployed in large numbers as protesters demanded the immediate arrest of those responsible and action in the case.
Who was Ankiit Balyann?
Balyann, a resident of Bantikheda village, had built a following through Haryanvi music and YouTube videos. His songs often featured themes associated with gun culture.
He had more than 440,000 followers on Instagram and over 3.67 lakh YouTube subscribers.
Balyann had also faced an FIR in 2023 after a roadshow in Shamli was allegedly organised 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),” SP (Shamli) NP Singh was quoted as saying in an earlier Hindustan Times report.
Police teams were sent to possible hideouts in Haryana, including Panipat, as well as Punjab. Investigators suspected that the attackers could be from Haryana.