{
  "id": 11838499,
  "title": "Punjabi LGBTQ influencer and makeup artist Mad Sandhu shot dead in Amritsar",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/04/punjabi-lgbtq-influencer-and-makeup-artist-mad-sandhu-shot-dead-in",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-04T03:30:46.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Indian Express",
    "slug": "the-indian-express",
    "url": "https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/chandigarh/amritsar-lgbtq-punjabi-influencer-makeup-artist-mad-sandhu-shot-dead-amritsar-10905827/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Madhu Sudan, also known as Punjabi social media influencer and makeup artist Mad Sandhu, was tragically murdered in Amritsar on Saturday evening. The assailants, armed with guns, targeted Sandhu outside a car wash center on Loharka Road around 6 pm. Two unidentified men rode up on a motorcycle and opened fire, killing the 28-year-old son of a retired Punjab Police inspector in a matter of seconds. Sandhu, who had amassed nearly 240,000 Instagram followers and ran Mane Lane Unisex Salon, was rushed to a private hospital but succumbed to his injuries. Police have registered an FIR and are actively investigating the motive behind the attack, though it remains unclear at this stage. The victim had openly discussed makeup artistry and gender issues on his podcasts, and his digital presence was marked by both admiration and aggressive online harassment, particularly for his gay identity. Despite facing threats, Sandhu continued to speak out against homophobic trolling and emphasized that success was possible for individuals like him, even those from conservative backgrounds.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 6,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Hindustan Times",
        "title": "Punjabi makeup artist, influencer Mad Sandhu shot dead in Amritsar",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/03/punjabi-makeup-artist-influencer-mad-sandhu-shot-dead-in-amritsar",
        "published": "2026-10-03T14:48:12.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Free Press Journal",
        "title": "Social Media Influencer Mad Sandhu Shot Dead By Unidentified Assailants In Amritsar | Video",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/03/social-media-influencer-mad-sandhu-shot-dead-by-unidentified",
        "published": "2026-10-03T14:49:07.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "NDTV - India News",
        "title": "Popular LGBTQ Influencer And Makeup Artist Mad Sandhu Shot Dead In Amritsar",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/03/popular-lgbtq-influencer-and-makeup-artist-mad-sandhu-shot-dead-in",
        "published": "2026-10-03T15:08:15.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Gulf News",
        "title": "Indian influencer Mad Sandhu shot dead in Punjab",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/03/indian-influencer-mad-sandhu-shot-dead-in-punjab",
        "published": "2026-10-03T17:36:47.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Indian Express",
        "title": "LGBTQ influencer and makeup artist Madhu Sudan shot dead in Amritsar",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/03/lgbtq-influencer-and-makeup-artist-madhu-sudan-shot-dead-in-amritsar",
        "published": "2026-10-03T23:48:28.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}