Punjabi social media influencer and makeup artist Mad Sandhu, one of the region’s most prominent openly gay personalities, was shot dead by two unidentified men riding a motorcycle in Amritsar on Saturday evening. Sandhu, whose full first name was Madhusudan, was found bleeding on a road after the shooting and died while being taken to a hospital. “Two unidentified men fired at him around 6 pm,” Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Sirivennela said. Footage of the scene subsequently went viral on social media, and police launched an investigation.
No motive had been established for the killing. Sandhu frequently appeared on podcasts to discuss makeup, the film industry and gender-related issues. He also faced persistent homophobic abuse online, often responding with the message, “God has made me the way I am.”
Sandhu began his career as a stylist and assistant costume designer for films in Punjab and Mumbai. He later appeared in Punjabi productions, including the “Oye Bhole Oye” series, and built a large online following through Instagram Reels and viral videos featuring fashion, lifestyle content and commentary on social norms, LGBTQ+ acceptance and popular culture.
His killing came about a year after the murder of influencer Kanchan Kumari, also known as Kamal Kaur Bhabhi, in Bathinda. According to the police investigation, radical Nihang Sikh vigilante Amritpal Singh Mehron and his associates lured Kumari from her Ludhiana residence by promising a paid brand promotion. The group killed her as an act of moral policing, with Mehron later claiming that her Instagram content was “immoral” and “vulgar” and that she should remove the Sikh surname “Kaur” from her social media handles. Mehron fled to the United Arab Emirates after publicly justifying the murder, but was deported to India and arrested at Delhi airport on April 10, 2026. A Bathinda court has since charged him with murder.
Hours before Sandhu’s killing, another man was shot dead in Mullanpur, Ludhiana, after assailants in a Hyundai Verna followed a white Hyundai i20 carrying two young men from Khanjarwal village toward Majri and opened fire. Driver Ladi Khan of Bhundri village suffered multiple bullet wounds, while passenger Rohit, also known as Billa, escaped unharmed. Police are examining possible links to old enmity, a personal dispute or gang rivalry.
Original Source: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/popular-influencer-and-makeup-artist-maddy-sandhu-shot-dead-in-amritsar-12134661#publisher=newsstand
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Publish Date: 2026-10-03 20:37:00
