Poonam Pandey and her spouse, Sam Bombay, are facing a defamation lawsuit of ₹100 crore for her fake death stunt The lawsuit alleges that Pandey and Bombay trivialized a grave illness and propagated a 'baseless conspiracy of death'.

Earlier this month, Pandey's team announced her demise, attributing it to cervical cancer. However, there was no official confirmation of her death.

The following day, on February 3rd, Poonam Pandey appeared in a video on her social media platforms, affirming her existence and expressing her intent to raise 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.

The incident sparked widespread criticism on social media, with both celebrities and the general public condemning the hoax as "ridiculous" and "disgraceful.". Among those voicing their disapproval were Bipasha Basu, Nikki Tamboli, Mini Mathur, and Pooja Bhatt.

The All Indian Cine Workers Association (AICWA) joined the chorus, calling for legal action against Pandey for playing the emotions of people in India. Additionally, Maharashtra MLC Satyajeet Tambe urged the Mumbai Police to take swift legal action against Poonam.

Subsequently, the media company Schbang, which was implicated in the fake death stunt, issued an apology. Nevertheless, it maintained its stance that the campaign had generated significant outcomes.

The report from newspaper also indicated that the ₹100 crore defamation suit alleges that Pandey "orchestrated" the stunt for her own publicity and "manipulated the trust of millions of Indians".

The defamation suit additionally urged the Kanpur Police Commissioner to ensure that both Pandey and her husband appear before the court for further proceedings.