A defamation case amounting to Rs 100 crore has been filed against actress and model Poonam Pandey and her husband Sam Bombay by a Indian citizen named Faizan Ansari, who lodged a First Information Report (FIR) with the Kanpur Police Commissioner in India.
The plaintiff of the case, Ansari, alleged that Poonam and Sam conspired to spread the fake news of her death, trivialising the seriousness of cancer in the process, which Poonam called the reason behind her stunt.
Pandey Pandey, a controversial figure in Bollywood, found herself in scrutiny again following her recent admission of faking her death to raise awareness about cervical cancer. The revelation and public outcry, which came after Pandey's team announced her demise due to cervical cancer, has sparked outrage amongst netizens and legal repercussions for the actress and her husband.
As per the filed FIR on behalf of Ansari, the couple intentionally staged the hoax for self-promotion, causing considerable distress and misleading the public. The complaint seeks the issuance of an arrest warrant against the couple and their appearance in a Kanpur court to respond to the defamation allegations.
For those unfamiliar with the incident, controversy arose on February 2 when Pandey's team declared her death on social media platforms, attributing cervical cancer as the cause of death. The statement, expressing deep sorrow over the loss, requested privacy during the mourning period.
However, the situation took a dramatic turn when Poonam Pandey reappeared on Instagram with a video, confirming that her reported death was part of a promotional campaign, and she is indeed alive.
The revelation drew widespread criticism from social media users and led to legal action against Pandey and her husband.