Amritsar:
Punjabi influencer and makeup artist Mad Sandhu, one of the most prominent LGBTQ personalities in the region, was shot dead by two men on a bike in Amritsar on Saturday. He was found lying on the road, blood-soaked, after sustaining a gunshot wound. A video showing him on the road has gone viral on social media.
This came a year after a similar murder of a social media influencer was committed in Bathinda. In that case, a radical Sikh vigilante claimed responsibility and reasoned that her videos were “vulgar”.
Sandhu, whose full first name was Madhusudan, often appeared in podcasts as a guest to talk about makeup, the movie business, and gender issues, and constantly faced homophobic trolling on social media. He would usually hit back by saying, “God has made me the way I am”, and did not hide his being gay.
He died while being taken to the hospital after the attack on Saturday. Police reached the spot and have launched an investigation into the shooting. “Two unidentified men fired at him around 6 pm,” said Sirivennela, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police.
Though not a lot is known about his family specifically, Sandhu started his professional career in the fashion industry as a stylist and assistant costume designer in films in Punjab and Mumbai. He gained massive popularity through Instagram reels and viral videos, sharing luxury look tips, lifestyle content, and open commentary on social norms, LGBTQ+ acceptance, and pop culture. He had acting roles in some Punjabi films, such as the ‘Oye Bhole Oye’ series.
Another influencer, Kanchan Kumari aka Kamal Kaur Bhabhi, was murdered in June 2025. She was lured from her Ludhiana residence under the false pretext of a paid brand promotion by Amritpal Singh Mehron, a radical Nihang Sikh vigilante, the police probe found. Mehron and his accomplices orchestrated the killing as a severe act of moral policing, claiming that Kumari’s bold Instagram content was “immoral” and “vulgar”, while also demanding she remove the traditional Sikh female surname “Kaur” from her handles. Following the crime, Mehron publicly justified the murder in a video message before fleeing to the United Arab Emirates (UAE); however, he was deported to India and arrested at the Delhi airport on April 10, 2026, and a Bathinda court has since framed murder charges against him.
More recently, hours before Mad Sandhu’s murder, a man was killed after unidentified assailants opened indiscriminate fire at his car in Mullanpur, Ludhiana, on Friday night. The incident took place when a white Hyundai i20 carrying two young men was travelling from Khanjarwal village towards Majri. According to the preliminary police investigation, the attackers, who were travelling in a Hyundai Verna, followed the i20 and opened fire.
The driver, identified as Ladi Khan of Bhundri village, sustained multiple bullet injuries and died in the attack. The other man, Rohit alias Billa of Majri, reportedly fled from the spot during the firing and escaped unharmed. The motive behind the killing has not yet been established. Police are investigating multiple angles, including old enmity, a personal dispute, and possible gang rivalry.
(With inputs from Kunwar Sharma from Ludhiana)
