Haryanvi singer Ankit Baliyan was shot dead by four assailants on motorcycles
Around two hours before the shooting, Baliyan had uploaded a video on Instagram in which he was sitting in his car and singing a few lines from his Haryanvi song “Baby Badmash”, released last month. A resident of Banti Kheda village in Shamli, Baliyan had built a following in the Haryanvi music industry.
Baliyan was leaving a gym in the Kotwali area of Shamli around 6.45pm on Wednesday when four assailants travelling on two motorcycles opened fire on him, police said.
LUCKNOW: Hours before he was shot dead outside a gym in Shamli, Haryanvi singer and YouTuber Ankit Baliyan posted a video of himself singing a line “Murder maar de sadak ke upar (murder on the road)” to his Instagram followers — an eerie coincidence that has now drawn attention as police investigate the circumstances surrounding his killing.
His brother Kapil said he had played state-level kabaddi until 2013-14 and took part in competitions in Delhi, Bhopal and other places. Around 2022, Baliyan began pursuing Haryanvi music professionally. He eventually worked on more than 50 songs as a singer, lyricist and music composer. Earlier reporting noted: ‘Murder maar de sadak ke upar’: Haryanvi singer-YouTuber Ankiit Balyann’s last reel before 18-bullet killing 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. They allegedly forced open the vehicle’s door and fired at him before fleeing on motorcycles without registration plates Earlier reporting noted: The assailants allegedly fired around 18 rounds at him, said police.
Locals said he usually visited his native village once every one or two months. Earlier reporting noted: According to the police, witnesses said the attackers were waiting outside the gym and opened fire as Balyann came out and approached his SUV. Music was not initially Baliyan’s career plan. For his music work, he lived between Rohtak, Sonipat and Delhi’s Khajuri Khas and had offices at all three places.