The Ahmedabad crime branch on Thursday arrested social media influencer Mad Sandhu’s shooter in Punjab’s Amritsar. The shooter, identified as Parminder, had fired the shots and had arranged the motorcycle used in the crime, police said. The cops will hold a press conference and reveal further details of the arrest.
A murder case has been registered under Section 103 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at the Amritsar Cantonment police station. Cops are now investigating the link between Sandhu's killing and gangster Goldy Dhillon’s international network.
Links to Dhillon?
A day after Sandhu’s murder, a social media post atrributed to to Dhillon and associate Jagga Tarn Taran surfaced, claiming the responsibility of the killing. The viral post claimed Sandhu was targeted for “corrupting the younger generation” and issued explicit warnings to other digital creators, institution organisers who invite influencers, and individuals who ignore extortion demands.
How Was Sandhu Killed?
Influencer Sandhu was killed in Amritsar on Saturday evening, outside a car wash, when he had gone to collect his vehicle. Two men on a motorcycle fired two or three rounds at close range and fled.
He succumbed to his injuries on the way to the hospital and was cremated on Sunday. Punjab cops recovered two empty shells and examined CCTV and his phone records. Officials have said he was under surveillance before the attack.
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Sandhu, whose original name was Madhusudan Sandhu, was a makeup artist, stylist and content creator from Amritsar, and the son of a retired Punjab Police officer. He had about 2.4 lakh followers on Instagram and spoke publicly about makeup, the Punjabi film industry and gender.
He had acted in the 2024 Punjabi film Oye Bhole Oye. He was reportedly due to enter Bigg Boss as a wildcard later this month and had earlier sought police protection.
Sandhu was criticised and targeted by conservative religious groups. In July, a Nihang Sikh group led by Jathedar Manpreet Singh Khalsa criticised him for his social media content, clothing, and older videos. They alleged that his lifestyle, attire, and outspokenness regarding LGBTQ+ issues were "spoiling the younger generation" and negatively impacting Punjab's traditional culture and youth.