Earlier this month, Pandey’s team announced that she had passed away due to cervical cancer. However, there was no official confirmation of the death.

The next day, on February 3, Poonam Pandey appeared in a video on her social media handles saying that she was alive and wanted to spread awareness about a disease that “claims the lives of thousands of women”.

“I feel compelled to share something significant with you all – I am here, alive. Cervical Cancer didn’t claim me, but tragically, it has claimed the lives of thousands of women who stemmed from a lack of knowledge on how to tackle this disease,” the 32-year-old actor posted on Instagram with the video.

This led to a backlash on the social media. Celebrities and common people criticised the hoax alike, saying it was “ridiculous” and “disgraceful”. These included Bipasha Basu, Nikki Tamboli, Mini Mathur and Pooja Bhatt.

All Indian Cine Workers Association (AICWA) also demanded a case against Pandey for playing with emotions of people in India. Maharashtra MLC Satyajeet Tambe also urged Mumbai Police to take legal action against Poonam

Later, media company Schbang, which was involved in the fake death stunt, also issued an apology. However, it continued to maintain that the campaign has yielded great results.

The TOI report also said that the ₹100 crore defamation suit mentions that Pandey “orchestrated” the stunt for her publicity and “played with the trust of millions of Indians”.

It also urged the Kanpur Police Commissioner to ensure Pandey and her husband appear before the court.

(With agency inputs)

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Published: 14 Feb 2024, 10:32 AM IST