About an hour before being murdered by armed assailants who fired 18 rounds at him, Haryanvi singer and YouTuber Ankiit Balyann 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.
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 protest prompted heavy police deployment, while protesters demanded immediate arrests and action against those responsible. Balyann, a resident of Bantikheda village, had gained popularity through Haryanvi songs, many of which featured gun culture.
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. He has over 440k followers on Instagram, while his YouTube subscriber count over 3.67 lakh. Balyann faced an FIR in 2023 after a roadshow in Shamli was allegedly held without permission.
Hours before the murder, Ankiit Balyann took to his Instagram handle and shared a video of him singing two lines of a song, asking his fans to share the same.
“Several teams have been formed to establish the motive behind Ankit Balyan’s murder and arrest the accused. 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.
Balyann 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. They allegedly forced open the vehicle’s door and fired at him before fleeing on motorcycles without registration plates The assailants allegedly fired around 18 rounds at him, said police.
Witnesses said the attackers were waiting outside the gym and opened fire as Balyann came out and approached his SUV, according to the police.
All possible angles are being investigated [sic],” the earlier HT report quoted SP (Shamli) NP Singh as saying.
