LGBTQ+ influencer Mad Sandhu shot dead in Amritsar

Mad Sandhu was shot dead in Amritsar on Saturday evening.

CHANDIGARH: More than a year after social media content creator Kanchan Kumari, alias Kanchan Bhabhi, was strangled in Bathinda over what police said the accused considered “immoral content” that hurt Sikh sentiments, LGBTQ+ influencer and make-up artist Mad Sandhu was shot dead in Amritsar on Saturday evening. Sandhu was attacked around 6pm on Loharka Road when he went to collect his car, which he had given for washing. Two men riding a motorcycle allegedly opened fire at him, leaving him with multiple bullet injuries. He died while being taken to a private hospital. Amritsar commissioner of police Harmanbir Singh Gill said Sandhu, son of a retired Punjab Police sub-inspector, had given his car for washing when he was attacked. “Police have solid leads and we will soon nab the culprits and ensure exemplary punishment for them,” Gill said. The attackers are yet to be identified. Police found two empty bullet shells at the crime scene and formed a team to identify and arrest the assailants, sources said. A purported video of the aftermath of the shooting surfaced on social media, showing Sandhu lying injured on the road as some of his associates tried to lift him. Another purported video showed him lying on the road with blood visible on his clothes. Sandhu had spoken publicly about gender issues and LGBTQ+ rights and had faced homophobic trolling on social media. His Instagram account had 2.26 lakh followers, and he had also acted in the Punjabi film 'Oye Bhole Oye'.

Nihang group had objected to Sandhu's social media content

Sandhu had recently faced objections from a Nihang group over his online activities, clothing and older videos. The group had warned him against content it claimed could negatively impact Punjab’s culture and youth. Sandhu had subsequently said he had changed and stopped repeating his past mistakes. He also alleged that his old videos were being reshared to create a controversy. Police, however, have not linked the recent controversy to the killing. Gill said police were investigating multiple angles to establish the motive behind the murder.

Bathinda killing had also involved social media content

The killing comes more than a year after Kanchan Kumari, alias Kanchan Bhabhi, was strangled in Bathinda. Police had said the accused considered her social media content “immoral” and believed it hurt Sikh sentiments. The two cases have brought renewed attention to the risks faced by social media creators over content that draws objections from groups or individuals. However, police have yet to establish a motive in Sandhu’s killing or link it to the controversy surrounding his social media activity.

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