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Investigators in Uttar Pradesh have detained four suspects in connection with the murder of Haryanvi singer and YouTuber Ankit Baliyan, who was shot dead outside a gym in Shamli on April 6, 2025. Police say the alleged shooters traveled from Karnal, Haryana, to Shamli via Bidoli, a route now being reconstructed using CCTV footage from multiple locations.
The Special Operations Group (SOG) has reviewed nearly 80 CCTV recordings and the gym’s entry register. Footage shows the four men arriving in Shamli on two motorcycles. They spent roughly two hours in the market area, reportedly assessing entry and exit points, before loitering near the gym for nearly an hour. At around 6:42 p.m., as Baliyan left the gym and got into his car, the assailants surrounded him and fired 18 rounds. Five bullets struck him in the head and abdomen. He died on the way to the hospital.
Police are now matching footage from the entire route from Karnal to Bidoli to Shamli to identify the vehicles used and the suspects’ movements. Investigators are also analyzing call detail records, criminal histories, and the activities of the four detained individuals on the day of the murder. Teams from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi, and Punjab police are coordinating the investigation.
Bhupendra Dhingra, a singer-actor who initially claimed responsibility for the killing, has since retracted that statement. In a video released on April 12, he said, “It is being widely reported on social media and in the media that I killed Ankit Baliyan, but I did not kill him. I was out of town when Ankit was murdered. My location can be verified.” Dhingra also expressed condolences to Baliyan’s family and asked to be considered a brother to the victim’s sister.
The murder initially drew a claim of responsibility from the Haryana-based Gogi gang via a Facebook post. A post from an account associated with the gang alleged that Baliyan had supported their rivals and had made a song about an incident involving Gogi, stating he “got what he deserved.” The post has since been removed.
The case has reignited attention on the culture of gun violence in the Haryanvi music industry. Baliyan, 32, was known for songs that glorified firearms, including “We’ll Shoot in a Packed Courtroom,” released in February 2023, which was later banned. Exactly one hour before his murder, he posted a song on Instagram in which he was seen sitting in a car and singing about shooting someone on the road.
Baliyan was a resident of Bantikheda village in Shamli and had been living in Sonipat, Haryana, before moving back to his native village months before his death. He was the youngest of four siblings, married to Seema, a government teacher in Delhi, for six years. The couple had no children. His father, Satbir, is a retired soldier, and his mother, Amresh, is a homemaker.
The murder sparked protests in Shamli, with residents blocking the road and demanding immediate arrests. Baliyan’s mother sat on the road holding his body until senior police officials, including Meerut Zone ADG Bhanu Bhaskar and Saharanpur Range DIG Abhishek Singh, persuaded her to allow the body to be taken for postmortem.
On April 13, the SOG revisited the crime scene, examined the gym register, and questioned people present at the time. They also collected additional CCTV footage from surrounding businesses. The footage is being analyzed to trace the attackers’ exact movements and identify any accomplices.
Several specialized police teams, including the STF, have been deployed. Raids are being conducted in neighboring districts and states. As of now, no formal charges have been filed against the four detained suspects, and police have not confirmed whether they are the actual shooters. The investigation is ongoing, with authorities urging anyone with information to come forward.
The case highlights the continuing challenge of gang-related violence in the region, where rivalries between music industry figures and criminal gangs sometimes intersect. Dhingra’s retraction and the Gogi gang’s claim add layers of complexity as police work to determine the true motive and mastermind behind the killing.
