Queer Punjabi makeup artist and social media creator Mad Sandhu has been shot dead in Amritsar, with police saying the killing appears to have been planned and that investigators are pursuing several leads.
Prominent Punjabi makeup artist and LGBTQ+ influencer Madhusudan “Mad” Sandhu has been killed in a shooting in Amritsar, India.
Sandhu was attacked at around 6pm on Saturday 3 October while near a car-washing business on Loharka Road.
Police say two unidentified men riding a motorcycle opened fire before fleeing. Sandhu suffered multiple gunshot wounds and died while being taken to a private hospital.
Investigators are examining CCTV footage and forensic evidence as they work to identify the attackers and establish a motive.
Police say attack appears to have been planned
Amritsar Police Commissioner Harmanbir Singh Gill said preliminary enquiries indicated Sandhu had been followed before the shooting.
“The accused followed Sandhu and opened fire after he reached the car-washing point,” police told NDTV, with investigators describing the killing as potentially planned.
Police have said they have significant leads and are working to identify those responsible.
Sandhu’s family has also provided a statement to investigators.
Posts claiming that a gang had taken responsibility for the killing circulated online after his death, but police have cautioned against treating those claims as authentic.
Gill said some such posts appeared to have been uploaded by people based outside India and were not considered reliable evidence of responsibility for the attack.
Who was Mad Sandhu?
Sandhu was one of Punjab’s most visible queer digital creators, building a large following through makeup, fashion, lifestyle content and his unapologetic approach to self-expression.
He had more than 200,000 followers on Instagram and had also appeared in Punjabi film and online entertainment projects.
Sandhu was openly gay and had spoken publicly about the homophobic abuse he received online.
When confronted with criticism about his identity, he was known for responding: “God has made me the way I am.”
His visibility made him part of a growing generation of South Asian LGBTQ+ creators using social media to build audiences in communities where queer public representation remains limited.
Questions remain over motive
In the months before his death, Sandhu had reportedly been involved in public controversy over his appearance, videos and sexuality, including criticism from religious figures and others who objected to his content.
Reporting by ThePrint says Sandhu’s family described him as having received warnings and harassment connected to his public persona.
However, police have not publicly concluded that the shooting was motivated by homophobia or anti-LGBTQ+ hatred.
At this stage, investigators are treating the circumstances, the alleged planning and any possible motive as part of an active murder investigation.
That distinction matters: Sandhu’s queer identity and previous experience of homophobic abuse form part of the context of his life, but there is currently no confirmed evidence establishing that they were the reason he was killed.
Tributes for a visible queer creator
Sandhu’s death has prompted grief among followers and members of Punjab’s LGBTQ+ and digital creator communities.
Fans have remembered him for his makeup artistry, confidence and willingness to live openly despite regular abuse online.
For queer people in South Asia, where visibility can still come with significant social pressure and hostility, Sandhu’s public presence carried an importance beyond beauty and entertainment.
He had built an audience by refusing to hide who he was.
Police say their investigation into his killing is continuing.
