Model Poonam Pandey is in hot water for spreading false news about her death to raise awareness for cervical cancer. The All Indian Cine Workers Association (AICWA) has demanded an FIR against her, stating her actions have upset Indians who paid tribute to her.
Poonam Pandey was slammed after she announced that she did not die from cervical cancer. She announced that she was alive a day after her manager claimed she 'died' from cancer. On February 2, news reports circulated that Poonam Pandey has died due to cervical cancer.
They said, "Strict action against them is necessary so that such types of fake news will not be circulated by anyone." They also commented that using cervical cancer for self-promotion is unacceptable, while adding that no one in the film industry stoops this low for publicity.
"The fake PR stunt by model and actress Poonam Pandey is highly wrong. Using the guise of cervical cancer for self-promotion is not acceptable. After this news, people may hesitate to believe any death news in the film industry. No one in the industry stoops to such levels for PR. Poonam Pandey's manager had confirmed the false news, so there should be an FIR against Poonam Pandey and her manager to prevent anyone from exploiting their own death news for personal gains (PR). The entire Indian film industry, along with the entire nation, paid tribute (sic)," the cinema worker's body said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
Maharashtra legislator Satyajeet Tambe has also called for action against Pandey, stating the episode takes away from the seriousness of cervical cancer. Pandey announced her death on social media, leading to a flood of obituaries, but later admitted it was a hoax.
The fake death announcement was met with criticism and accusations of it being a 'deceptive stunt'. Actor Pooja Bhatt and filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri have condemned Pandey for her 'disgraceful' stunt. Pandey began her modelling career in 2010 and is known for her outlandish stunts and risque behaviour.
Also Read: Poonam Pandey passes away at 32 due to cervical cancer