Mad Sandhu, a gay Punjabi makeup artist and social media influencer, was shot and killed in Amritsar, India, on Saturday (3 October).

Sandhu, whose full name was Madhusudan Sandhu, was reportedly shot at around 6pm while waiting outside a car wash centre for his vehicle. Two unidentified men on a motorcycle allegedly opened fire before fleeing the scene.

Sandhu died on his way to a private hospital. Police recovered two empty bullet casings from the scene and are examining CCTV footage and forensic evidence.

Police investigate the motive behind Mad Sandhu’s death

Police are investigating the circumstances and motive behind the killing and have said it may have been a planned attack.

According to , Amritsar Police Commissioner Harmanbir Singh Gill said the initial investigation indicated that Sandhu had been tracked before the shooting.

Gill said the shooters followed Sandhu to the car wash before opening fire. Prabhjot Singh Virk said: “We have leads and will solve the case soon. We have recorded the family’s statement.”

Police deny gang claims

After Sandhu was killed, posts appeared on social media claiming that a gang had taken responsibility for the murder, though police have since dismissed the claims.

Gill said: “These so-called posts are unauthentic and uploaded by foreign-based persons.” He added that police were continuing to work towards solving the case.

Investigators are now looking into the motive behind the alleged planned killing. There are currently no reports indicating that the attack was motivated by homophobia.

An outpouring of grief

Throughout his career, Sandhu faced homophobic trolling online. He was known for hitting back at his critics by saying: “God has made me the way I am.”

Mad Sandhu had more than 226,000 followers on Instagram, with fans expressing an outpouring of grief following news of his death.

“My heart breaks for Mad Sandhu and his family,” wrote one fan. “Rest peacefully… you really didn’t deserve this,” penned another.