Poonam Pandey faces Rs 100 crore defamation lawsuit over fake death stunt

Actress-model Poonam Pandey has found herself embroiled in controversy once again, following her recent admission of faking her death to raise awareness about cervical cancer. The revelation, which came after Pandey’s team announced her demise due to cervical cancer, has sparked outrage among netizens and legal repercussions for the actress and her husband, Sam Bombay.

A defamation case amounting to Rs 100 crore has been filed against Poonam Pandey and Sam Bombay by Faizan Ansari, who lodged a First Information Report (FIR) with the Kanpur Police Commissioner. Ansari alleges that Pandey and Bombay conspired to fabricate her death, trivialising the seriousness of cancer in the process, and manipulating the emotions and trust of millions of people, including the Bollywood industry.

According to the FIR, filed on behalf of Ansari, the defendants deliberately orchestrated the hoax for self-promotion, causing significant distress and deception among the public. The complaint calls for issuing an arrest warrant against the couple and their appearance in the Kanpur court to address the defamation claims.

For the unversed, controversy erupted on February 2 when Pandey’s team announced her demise on social media platforms, citing cervical cancer as the cause of death. The statement, expressing profound grief over the loss, appealed for privacy during the mourning period. However, the narrative took a dramatic turn when Poonam Pandey resurfaced with a video on Instagram, confirming that her supposed death was part of a campaign, and she is indeed alive.

The revelation drew widespread criticism from social media users and now, led to legal action against Pandey and her husband.