Punjab Law & Order Under Fierce Scrutiny as Popular Influencer Mad Sandhu Shot Dead in Amritsar
Bike-borne assailants open point-blank fire at the prominent makeup artist on Loharka Road; opposition launches scathing attack on the state government over escalating brazen street violence.
AMRITSAR: The law and order situation in Punjab has come under intense public and political fire following the broad-daylight targeted killing of popular social media influencer and celebrity makeup artist Mad Sandhu (Madhusudan) in Amritsar. The fatal shooting has sparked widespread outrage across digital spaces and triggered sharp attacks from opposition parties over unchecked gun violence in the border state.
The brazen attack unfolded on Loharka Road near Pratap Singh Nagar on Saturday evening around 6:00 PM. According to preliminary reports, Sandhu had arrived at a local service center to collect his car after a wash when two unidentified assailants on a motorcycle ambushed him. The attackers pumped multiple bullets into him at point-blank range before speeding away into crowded lanes.
Key Dimensions of the Incident
- Targeted Ambush: Mad Sandhu (Madhusudan) was fired upon 2–3 times at close range by two motorcycle-borne gunmen outside a car wash station on Loharka Road.
- Fatal Injuries: Found lying in a pool of blood, Sandhu was rushed to a nearby hospital by local bystanders but succumbed to gunshot wounds.
- Past Hostility & Threats: The influencer had previously received public threats and online hostility regarding his lifestyle, grooming content, and outspoken public identity.
- Political Blowback: Opposition outfits slam the AAP-led state government over deteriorating street security and brazen gangland-style assassinations.
Police Launch Multi-Angle Probe, Scan CCTV Networks
Following the shooting, local police teams along with senior officials rushed to the crime scene, cordoning off the area and deploying forensic experts to recover bullet casings. Eyewitness statements are being recorded, and police are tracking footage from security cameras along Loharka Road and adjacent escape routes.
Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (ADCP) Sirivennela confirmed that a dedicated special investigation team has been formed to trace the shooters. While purported social media posts claiming responsibility by local criminal elements have surfaced, police officials stated that every lead—including personal rivalry, hate crime angles, extortion threats, and gang-linked hitmen—is being methodically investigated.
“We have secured key forensic clues and CCTV feeds from the site. Multiple police teams are conducting raids across suspected hideouts. We are looking into all dimensions, including past threats the victim had reportedly received,” a senior Amritsar police official stated.
A Distinct Voice Cut Short
Known professionally as Mad Sandhu, the 2.2-lakh-strong Instagram creator had carved a distinct niche in Punjab’s entertainment and fashion circuits. Beyond running his salon venture, Manelane, in Amritsar, Sandhu worked as a stylist, appeared in Punjabi feature film projects including Oye Bhole Oye, and spoke openly about fashion choices and gender identity on digital talk shows.
Despite widespread following, Sandhu had repeatedly faced fierce cyber-bullying, trolling, and conservative friction. A few months earlier, self-proclaimed vigilante elements had publicly confronted him over his fashion aesthetics. Supporters and members of the creative fraternity have questioned whether adequate preventative measures were taken by the authorities despite known hostility toward him.
Political Tempest Over Deteriorating Street Safety
The murder has triggered a severe political backlash against Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s administration. Senior Congress leaders, including Amritsar MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla and former minister Raj Kumar Verka, condemned the killing, alleging that criminals and armed shooters operate with total impunity in Punjab’s urban centers while intelligence and local policing fail to protect citizens.
Public Outcry Demands Swift Accountability
As heartbreaking videos of the blood-soaked scene circulated online, civil society groups and lifestyle creators expressed deep grief, questioning the safety of individuals who dare to challenge orthodox norms or lead public-facing lives in the state.
With tensions simmering, Amritsar police have intensified vehicular checking and increased pickets across key entry and exit points, assuring that the perpetrators behind the fatal shooting will be apprehended without delay.