Haryanvi Singer Ankit Baliyan Shot 18 Times Outside Gym in Shamli, Gogi Gang Claims Hit

Shamli: Haryanvi singer and YouTuber Ankit Baliyan was shot dead on Wednesday evening as he stepped out of a gym in Shamli district, Uttar Pradesh, in an attack that police say involved four assailants and as many as 18 rounds fired at close range. A social media post allegedly linked to the Gogi gang has since surfaced claiming responsibility, and investigators are treating it as a serious lead in the case.

How the attack unfolded

According to police, Baliyan had just finished a workout and walked out of the gym around 6:55–7 PM when four unidentified men, who arrived on two vehicles near Aryapuri Nala Patri in the Kotwali police station area, opened fire on him. Shamli Superintendent of Police N.P. Singh said the department received the alert through a Dial 112 emergency call reporting that the singer, a resident of Bantikheda village, had been shot as soon as he exited the gym.

Preliminary findings suggest the attackers fired roughly 18 rounds, with multiple bullets hitting Baliyan. Police personnel present at the scene rushed him to the Community Health Centre, but doctors were unable to revive him. ADG Meerut Bhanu Bhaskar confirmed the sequence of events to ANI and said senior officers - including the SP and DM of Shamli, the DIG of Saharanpur Range, and the SP of Baghpat - were dispatched to the spot immediately, with six to seven teams now working the case across multiple locations.

Gogi gang claims responsibility

Soon after the killing, a post attributed to the Gogi gang went viral on social media, claiming the murder was linked to a song Baliyan had released referencing the 2021 killing of gangster Jitender "Gogi" Mann, who was shot dead inside a Rohini courtroom in Delhi. Police are verifying the authenticity of the post and examining whether an old rivalry connected to the Gogi gang could have motivated the attack.

Bhaskar told reporters that technical surveillance and CCTV footage are being analysed, and that teams have also been sent to Haryana as part of the investigation. He added that officers are confident of resolving the case soon and taking strict action against those responsible, while stressing that all angles - including personal disputes and old enmities - are being examined.

Who was Ankit Baliyan

Baliyan had built a substantial following as a Haryanvi singer and performer, with over 3.66 lakh subscribers on YouTube and a catalogue known for songs steeped in a rugged, gangster-adjacent aesthetic - his videos frequently featured SUVs and firearms. He was best known for the track "Bhari Court Mein Goli Marenge Meri Jaan." He had also drawn attention in 2023 during a roadshow in Shamli that led to an FIR against him and several supporters over alleged rule violations, and there had been talk that he was weighing a run in district panchayat politics, though no official link between that ambition and his murder has been established.

Family and political reaction

Baliyan's mother told ANI that her son had never wronged anyone and demanded justice for his killing. Relatives said they were not at home when the attack took place and remain unaware of the attackers' identities, though they said they would accept whatever action police eventually take.

The killing also triggered protests, with family members and supporters blocking the Delhi-Muzaffarnagar road near Verma Market Tiraha, close to the crime scene. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav condemned the murder, arguing that it reflected a collapse of law and order in Uttar Pradesh, and called for political rivalry to be investigated as a possible angle.

As of now, no arrests have been made. Police say the investigation is ongoing, with technical and human intelligence leads being pursued across Uttar Pradesh and Haryana.