Promoting his ‘Baby Badmash’ song released last month, Haryanvi singer-YouTuber Ankit Balyan sang a few of its lines, including, “Murder maar de sadak ke upar (murder on the road)” to his Instagram followers in a video. Hours later, he was shot dead in a manner eerily resembling the setting described in the song.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 on him. He sustained critical injuries and was declared dead at a community health centre, police said.A resident of Banti Kheda village in Shamli, Balyan had made a name for himself in the Haryanvi music industry. His YouTube channel had over 3.68 lakh subscribers, and his songs — heavily featuring guns, fights and SUVs, and with lyrics invoking themes of violence, defiance and rivalry — often drew millions of views.Some of his popular numbers include “Bhari Court Mein Goli Marenge”, “Body Builder”, “PTI”, and “Ek Khtola Jail Ke Bhitar”.However, a career in music was not always Balyan’s plan. His brother Kapil told mediapersons that the singer played state-level kabadi 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.It was around 2022 that Balyan began pursuing his passion for Haryanvi music. Over the years, he worked for more than 50 songs as a singer, lyricist and music composer. He remained active through music videos and social media and had about 4.97 lakh followers on Instagram as well, with his account displaying the tagline ‘Yudhay Krit Nishchaya’ (determined to fight), fitting with his song lyrics and musical genre.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.The YouTuber 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.He lived between Rohtak, Sonipat and Delhi’s Khajuri Khas for his music work and had offices at all three places. He usually visited his village once every one or two months, 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 in 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.