Mad Sandhu: LGBTQ+ influencer and makeup artist shot dead in Amritsar

A popular Punjabi social media influencer and makeup artist, Mad Sandhu, has been shot dead by two motorcycle-borne gunmen on a road in Amritsar.

The attack took place at around 6 pm on Saturday, 4 October, on Loharka Road. Sandhu, whose real name was Madhusudan, had gone to a local shop to collect his car after having it washed. According to police, two unidentified men pulled up on a motorcycle and opened fire at close range.

Witnesses reported seeing Sandhu shot from just feet away. He was hit by two or three rounds and left lying in a pool of blood on the street. A video of the aftermath, showing bystanders trying to help him, quickly circulated on social media. He was rushed to a nearby hospital but died from his injuries.

Gunmen target influencer on Loharka Road

Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Sirivennela said investigators have established some leads and expect to arrest the suspects soon. The motive for the killing is not yet clear, and police are looking at several possibilities.

Prominent digital creator faced online backlash

Sandhu, who had around 2.26 lakh followers on Instagram, was a prominent and sometimes controversial figure on Punjabi digital platforms. He spoke openly about fashion, his work in the makeup and film industries, and LGBTQ+ issues. He had recently appeared in the Punjabi film Oye Bhole Oye and was a frequent guest on podcasts discussing gender and identity.

As an openly gay man, Sandhu faced regular homophobic trolling online. He had previously addressed the abuse, saying, "God had made me the way I am." A few months before the shooting, a Nihang Sikh had publicly confronted Sandhu over his clothing and videos, claiming they would have a bad influence on young people.

Child assaulted on Dharampura street

In an unrelated incident that has also caused outrage in the city, police are investigating after CCTV footage emerged of a woman violently assaulting a five-year-old girl in the middle of a street.

The incident happened at around 7 pm on Thursday in the Dharampura area of Joda Phatak. The footage shows the child, Amania, running down the street followed by her mother. A woman, identified by police as Anmol, also known as Boni, runs towards the child, grabs her, and repeatedly slaps her before throwing her to the ground and dragging her by her leg.

When Amania’s mother tried to intervene, she was reportedly threatened and pushed to the ground. Local residents and a passing tuition teacher eventually stepped in to rescue the child and pull the attacker away.

Amania’s father, Pankaj, told reporters that the child has a physical condition affecting her legs and wears special corrective footwear. He said the family had no idea what had caused the attack.

While some neighbours claimed the attacker suffers from mental health issues, police have not confirmed this. Anmol’s mother told officers that the assault stemmed from an ongoing dispute between the two families, claiming her daughter acted out of anger towards the child's mother. Investigating officers said they are examining the CCTV footage before deciding on further charges.