Ahmedabad: The Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad and Valsad police have apprehended three men in connection with the killing of Punjabi social media influencer and makeup artist Mad Sandhu in Amritsar earlier this month, officials said on Sunday.
The three accused, identified as Harsimranjit Singh alias Simu Singga, Fateh Singh, and Arman Singh, were detained on Saturday from Vapi town in Valsad district, according to an ATS release.
Earlier, the Ahmedabad Crime Branch on Thursday arrested Parminder Kaka alias Parminder Prasad, an alleged shooter in the October 3 killing of Sandhu. Police had stated that Parminder was allegedly associated with the Goldy Dhillon gang.
Sandhu was shot dead by two unidentified motorcycle-riding men near a car washing center on Loharka Road in Amritsar, Punjab. A case had been registered at the Cantonment police station in Amritsar City.
Senior Punjab police officials had shared intelligence regarding the suspects with the Gujarat ATS. Following an inquiry, the ATS determined that three of the individuals were located in Vapi and transmitted their details to the Valsad Special Operations Group, which subsequently detained them.
During subsequent questioning, their alleged roles in the homicide, which included carrying out reconnaissance prior to the assault, were uncovered by the ATS.
A Punjab Police team traveled to the Gujarat ATS office on Saturday to take custody of all three suspects for further legal proceedings.
Sandhu was recognized for his digital media presence and professional work as a makeup artist, frequently discussing artistry and gender issues across podcasts and online platforms.
He had previously encountered criticism and backlash online concerning his content presentation and fashion preferences. Several months prior, a Nihang Sikh had raised objections to his online material and attire, warning him that his videos could negatively influence younger audiences.
His Instagram profile had accumulated 226,000 followers, and he had also appeared in the Punjabi film Oye Bhole Oye.