Contract Killing Suspected In Shooting Of LGBTQ Activist Mad Sandhu, 2 Detained: Police

A contract killing angle has emerged in the shooting of LGBTQ activist and makeup artist Mad Sandhu, with the Amritsar Police Commissioner Harmanveer Singh Gill saying they are investigating the role of gangsters. The police suspect the crime may have been carried out by hired goons.

Gill said the police have made a major breakthrough in the case and have detained two people for questioning. Investigators are now working to establish their links with the crime and trace the main shooters and the alleged mastermind behind the incident.

According to the preliminary investigation, the crime appears to have been carried out by criminals allegedly hired for money. The police are probing who hired the goons, who executed the crime and whether gangster networks were involved in planning or facilitating the attack.

Gill clarified that no extremist or radical angle has emerged so far. The investigation, at this stage, is focused on the possibility of a criminal conspiracy involving hired goons.

The police commissioner said they were withholding the identities of the suspects and other sensitive details to avoid affecting the ongoing investigation. He appealed to the media and the public to wait for another 24 hours, saying more facts are expected to emerge as the investigation progresses.

The popular Punjabi influencer and makeup artist was shot dead by two men on a bike in Amritsar last week. He was found lying on the road, blood-soaked, after sustaining a gunshot wound.

A Facebook post from a handle 'Goldy Dhillon' appeared soon after, claiming responsibility and saying he had "spoilt" Punjab.

This murder comes a year after a similar killing of a social media influencer, 'Kamal Kaur Bhabhi', in Bathinda. In that case, a radical Sikh vigilante claimed responsibility and reasoned that the videos she posted were "vulgar".

Mad Sandhu, whose full first name was Madhusudan, often appeared in podcasts as a guest to talk about makeup, the movie business, and gender issues, and constantly faced homophobic trolling on social media. He would usually hit back by saying, "God has made me the way I am", and did not hide his being gay. He was also one of the most prominent LGBTQ personalities in the region.