The investigation into the murder of Haryanvi singer and YouTuber Ankit Balyan in Shamli has taken a turn after a man allegedly from Sonepat and belonging to the Gogi gang claimed responsibility for the killing in a social media post, officials said on Thursday.Police have begun examining whether the claim is genuine, officials said, adding that four teams have been sent to Haryana.In a message, a man identifying himself as Bholu Shahpuri of Sonepat claimed that the Gogi gang was responsible for Balyan’s murder. Police, however, have not confirmed the authenticity of the message.A murder case has been registered against four unidentified assailants on a complaint by Balyan’s father Satvir.Several teams have been formed to identify and arrest the accused, officials said.Meerut Zone ADGP Bhanu Bhaskar earlier on Thursday said police have gathered crucial clues but could not disclose details at this stage.”We have got several clues, but it would not be appropriate to make them public. It will be disclosed soon,” Bhaskar told reporters.According to police, Balyan was leaving a gym in the Kotwali area of Shamli around 6.45 pm on Wednesday when four assailants travelling on two motorcycles opened fire at him. He sustained critical injuries and was declared dead at a community health centre.CCTV footage shows the men fleeing after the shooting, police said.Balyan, a resident of Banti Kheda village in Shamli, had made a name for himself in the Haryanvi music industry after an injury ended his career as a state-level kabaddi player.His brother Kapil told mediapersons that Balyan played until 2013-14 and had participated in competitions in Delhi, Bhopal and other places. He had to quit the sport after suffering a leg fracture and later joined a gym.Around 2022, Balyan began pursuing his passion for Haryanvi music and went on to work for more than 50 songs as a singer, lyricist and composer.He gained recognition with many songs, including ‘Bhari court mein goli marenge’ with over 5 crore views on YouTube, and remained active through music videos and social media.His final Instagram post was uploaded about two hours before he was shot dead on Wednesday. In the video, Balyan is seen sitting in his car and singing a Haryanvi song with the line, ‘Murder maar de sadak ke upar’.Police are examining the activity and timeline of his social media accounts.Balyan was working on more than 20 new Haryanvi songs, which were scheduled to be released next month. His family said he was also preparing to contest the district panchayat member election from his village and planned to try his luck in Bollywood.Balyan had married Delhi’s Khajuri Khas-based teacher Jyoti about four years ago and also lived with her there. His father Satvir Singh is a retired Army personnel and is currently engaged in farming in the village.Balyan is survived by two elder sisters and a younger brother.With a deep interest in Haryanvi culture, Balyan sought to promote it through his songs and music. He lived at Rohtak, Sonepat and Delhi’s Khajuri Khas for his music work and had offices at all three places. He usually visited his village once every month, locals said.The killing triggered protests, with the victim’s family and others blocking a road in Shamli and demanding the immediate arrest of the attackers.The blockade has since been cleared, Bhaskar said, adding that the family was cooperating with the investigation.Balyan’s last rites were performed at his native village Banti Kheda after the post-mortem on Thursday.The killing has drawn criticism from the Samajwadi Party and Congress, which have targeted the BJP-led Uttar Pradesh government over the law and order situation.Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav has condemned the killing and demanded that the case also be investigated from the angle of possible political rivalry.