CHANDIGARH: The brazen killing of social media LGBTQ influencer and makeup artist Madhusudan, alias ‘Mad’ Sandhu, highlights a disturbing trend, with a recurring pattern of violence increasingly targeting social media influencers in Punjab. Sandhu was shot dead by two unidentified persons on Saturday on Loharka Road in Amritsar.
This is not the first such incident. On August 28, another influencer, 28-year-old Manjeet Kaur from Kharar, died after she was abducted and then set ablaze. In June last year, influencer Kanchan Kumari, known as ‘Kamal Kaur Bhabhi’, was murdered, while many others have been threatened.
Sources said Madhusudan, alias ‘Mad’ Sandhu, would often hit back at homophobic trolls, saying, “God has made me the way I am,” and would wonder why they cared about his being gay. He was shot dead by two unidentified motorcycle-borne assailants on Loharka Road in Amritsar around 6 pm on Saturday. The assailants opened fire at Sandhu and fled the spot. He was rushed to a private hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
Sandhu, the son of a retired Punjab Police inspector, had built a significant digital presence, amassing around 2.4 lakh followers on Instagram. He was also the founder of a unisex salon in Amritsar and operated beauty academies. Sandhu was known for openly discussing makeup artistry, gender issues and LGBTQ rights on various platforms. He had also acted in a Punjabi movie, ‘Oye Bhole Oye’.
Due to his unconventional content style and fashion choices, Sandhu routinely encountered public criticism and backlash on social media. He had spoken publicly about his struggles in a conservative society several times before his death.
“I ignored the negative comments and kept the positive ones in my mind... It doesn't matter now. I know how to live my life,” he said in a ‘Josh Talks’ motivational video in 2021.
He had described growing up in a hyper-masculine society, particularly as a Jat Sikh. “I was living a double life; one was that which we have to live according to society, and the other was that in which I was stuck in confusion,” he said.
Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (ADCP) City-2 Amritsar Siri Vennela said Sandhu was attacked when he came to a car-wash shop to get his vehicle cleaned.
“Around two to three rounds were fired, with an eyewitness saying the social media influencer was shot at close range,” he said, adding that the attackers immediately sped away.
The motive behind the killing is yet to be ascertained. Till now, no one has claimed responsibility for the attack.
The police have launched an investigation into the incident and formed teams to identify and trace the assailants. CCTV footage from the area is also being examined to establish the sequence of events and identify the suspects.
In July, a Nihang Sikh had allegedly threatened him over his videos on social media, alleging that they were misleading the youth and asking him to refrain from making and posting such videos. It had led to a controversy at that time.
A recording of a phone call between Sandhu and a Nihang Sikh group leader, who fashioned himself as a cultural vigilante, showed the latter telling Sandhu not to use the Jat Sikh surname.
“Many boys are becoming gay after watching you,” the vigilante said, and asked him to record a video statement saying he had “reformed”.
A Facebook post from a handle ‘Goldy Dhillon’ appeared soon after across Punjabi social media, claiming responsibility and saying he had “spoilt” Punjab.
While Sandhu had lakhs of followers, multiple influencers claiming to “save” Punjabi culture posted “he deserved it” messages, alongside some “RIP” posts.
This is not the first such incident. On August 28, another influencer, 28-year-old Manjeet Kaur from Kharar, died after she was allegedly abducted from Sector 34 of Chandigarh and assaulted before being set on fire as she was tied to a tree in Morinda of Rupnagar district in Punjab. She was rescued and rushed to the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, where she died after two months during treatment.
In June last year, influencer Kanchan Kumari, known as ‘Kamal Kaur Bhabhi’, was killed after she was lured from her Ludhiana residence on the false pretext of a paid brand promotion to Bathinda. A Nihang, Amritpal Singh Mehron, who had objected to her Instagram content as “immoral” and “vulgar”, was accused in that case. He fled to the UAE but was deported and arrested at Delhi airport in April this year.
Citing persistent threats, social media influencer Deepika Luthra from Amritsar had deleted her Instagram account after receiving threats. She was provided police security after specific threats from Babbar Khalsa International (BKI).
Another influencer, Simarjeet Kaur, known online as ‘Preet Jatti’, has also reportedly received threats from extremist elements.
Last year, a grenade was hurled outside the residence of influencer Rozer Sandhu in Maqsudan, Jalandhar. Pakistani gangster Shahzad Bhatti claimed responsibility, alleging that the attack was in response to derogatory remarks made against Islam by the YouTuber.
In the past, Punjab Police had been scrutinising accounts of several popular influencers alleged to be promoting vulgar content, double-meaning language or posts that could create law and order issues. The cyber cell of the state police had already flagged approximately 100 controversial posts to respective online platforms for removal under the Information Technology (IT) Act.
Sources in the intelligence community said that social media activity is now being treated as a matter of internal security.
