Why Amritsar is trending: Murder of LGBTQ influencer Mad Sandhu and rising moral policing in Punjab

Why Amritsar is trending

Amritsar has surged in Google Trends India after the killing of queer influencer Mad Sandhu on 3 October 2026. The incident has drawn attention to a rise in cultural moral policing in Punjab, where self‑appointed guardians claim to protect community honour.

Details of the killing

Mad Sandhu (Madhusudan), a 30‑year‑old LGBTQ makeup artist and influencer with over 232,000 Instagram followers, was shot dead by unidentified bike‑borne assailants while collecting his Thar SUV from a car wash on Loharka Road, a busy commercial‑cum‑residential lane in Amritsar. He was on his way to Fortis Hospital when he died (ThePrint). His reel titled “Gutt farhu koi daler gabru” had garnered 23,000 likes, and he ran the Mane Lane Unisex Salon in the city, appeared in the film Oye Bhola Oye 2, featured in songs like Ragda and the web series Youth Kartoot. His father noted that Sandhu was slated to join Bigg Boss as a wildcard entrant later that month.

Context of cultural moral policing

The killing followed a series of online threats from groups describing themselves as “culture thekedaars” who accused Sandhu of corrupting Punjabi youth. A Nihang jathedar had previously warned him to change his appearance, and Sandhu had issued a clarification saying he would avoid past mistakes. Sources note that in the past 16 months three influencers in Punjab have been killed, indicating a pattern of targeting social‑media creators (ThePrint). Earlier victims include Manjeet Kaur, who was assaulted and set on fire in July 2026, and Kanchan Kumari, allegedly strangled by a self‑styled Nihang leader in June 2025.

Police investigation and community response

Police Commissioner Harmanbir Singh Gill stated they cannot verify social‑media claims of responsibility because the posts appear to originate from abroad (The Hindu). Queer collectives in Punjab have condemned the murder as the first recorded killing of an LGBTQA+ person in the state, warning it could push the community back into the closet. Activists point out that despite the repeal of Section 377 and the introduction of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita in 2024, LGBTQA+ individuals remain vulnerable to violence and intimidation.

Broader implications

The case has reignited debate over the limits of moral policing in Punjab, where groups have previously targeted couples for wearing sleeveless tops and forced influencers to bow to religious symbols. Scholars argue that such actions contradict core Sikh principles of sarbat da bhala (welfare of all) and sewa (selfless service), which Mad Sandhu himself exemplified by distributing flood relief in 2025 when 2,000 villages were inundated. The incident underscores the need for stronger protection of freedom of expression and for law‑enforcement to act swiftly against hate‑motivated crime.