Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], August 27 : Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday voiced concern over the crime situation in Uttar Pradesh following the murder of Haryanvi singer Ankit Baliyan, who was gunned down in Shamli.
SP chief Yadav condemned the killing, alleging that the law and order situation in the state has been rendered null and void, and further claimed that the entire Jat community of UP considers this an attack on itself.
Akhilesh Yadav, in a post on X, expressed concern over the "merciless" killing of a Haryanvi singer, highlighting massive public anger and community anguish.
"The law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh has been rendered null and void in the manner in which popular singer Ankit Baliyan was mercilessly murdered by firing 18 rounds at him in Shamli, spreading fear across the entire region," he wrote.
Focusing on the heartbreaking reaction of Baliyan's mother witnessed on the streets, he further wrote, "The news of the grieving mother of the deceased, cradling her son's body in her lap and mourning on the street itself, is heart-wrenching. The Jat community has raised its demand for the arrest of the attackers right on the streets. The entire Jat community of UP considers this an attack on itself and is furious."
The SP chief further called for an inquiry of this murder case from all perspectives.
He wrote, "There is a growing demand for the investigation of this murder case to also be conducted from the perspective of political rivalry. Utterly condemnable!"
Haryanvi singer and actor Ankit Baliyan was fatally shot in Shamli district as he stepped out of a gym, while a viral social media post allegedly linked to the Gogi gang claimed responsibility for the murder. The Shamli Police are currently investigating this viral social media post.
The viral post claims that Ankit had created a song featuring a similar theme to the killing of Gangster Jitendra Gogi, who was shot dead inside Rohini Court.
Shamli SP N.P. Singh said police are investigating the post and are working on the lead to determine whether there was an old dispute involving the Gogi gang and whether it could be linked to Baliyan's killing.
Police are also examining CCTV footage and probing all possible angles, including old rivalries and personal disputes. The exact motive behind the targeted killing is yet to be established.
Speaking to ANI, ADG Meerut, Bhanu Bhaskar, confirmed that the incident occured on Wednesday evening and provided details about the sequence of events and the ongoing probe.
He said, "The victim was a singer named Ankit Baliyan... He was a well-known singer with many videos on YouTube. He had been working out at a fitness gym; as he stepped out--around 6:55 PM--four unidentified individuals arrived in two vehicles and opened fire. He sustained gunshot injuries. Although police personnel were present and immediately rushed him to the Community Health Centre (CHC), the doctors were unable to save him.
Following the incident, the SP and DM of Shamli, along with the DIG (Saharanpur Range) and the SP of Baghpat, were immediately dispatched to the scene. The SP and Additional SP of Muzaffarnagar also arrived, and approximately six to seven teams have begun working across various locations and directions.
Speaking to ANI, the relatives of late Haryanvi singer Ankit Baliyan voiced their complete lack of information regarding the attackers after the artist was tragically shot dead outside a gym in Shamli.
He said, "The police have assured that action would be taken as soon as possible. We didn't really know the details ourselves. We weren't even at home. To this day, we still don't know who they were or how it happened; we are completely in the dark. We will accept whatever action the police take..."
The incident came to light after an emergency call was placed to Dial 112, prompting local police teams to rush to the crime scene. Authorities confirmed that the victim, a resident of Banti Khera, was ambushed by three to four men as soon as he stepped outside the fitness centre.