Popular Haryanvi singer Ankit Balyan shot dead outside gym in UP

Ankit Balyan, a YouTube personality known for Haryanvi music and content creation, was shot dead Wednesday evening in the Kotwali police station area of Shamli district while exiting a gym facility. Police arrived at the scene following reports of gunfire and immediately launched an investigation into the shooting. The body was subsequently sent for post-mortem examination, according to Superintendent of Police M P Singh.

Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav denounced the killing as "highly condemnable" and characterized it as an attack on the Jat community. The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister criticized the state's law and order situation, stating it had deteriorated to "zero" levels, and called for a comprehensive investigation into potential political motivations behind the incident.

Unconfirmed reports suggested that Balyan may have been preparing to contest in the upcoming panchayat elections, though neither local authorities nor individuals close to him have officially confirmed this detail or whether electoral rivalry played any role in the shooting. The identities of the assailants remain unknown, and investigations are ongoing to determine the circumstances and motive behind the killing.