A day after announcing her death, Poonam Pandey emerged alive and healthy. According to Pandey, the faked death stunt was an attempt to draw public attention towards cervical cancer
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Seeking legal action against Pandey, MLC Tambe said, “The news of Poonam Pandey’s death ultimately proved to be a publicity stunt. The phenomenon raises many basic questions. The first of them was the way the news was garbed as awareness. The news of an influencer/model dying of cervical cancer cannot be a means to spread awareness about the disease. The entire episode takes away the serious nature of Cervical Cancer and diverts the attention entirely to the influencer.” ”The actor has pulled a prank on the cancer survivors rather than raising awareness,” he added. Not only Tambe, but the All Indian Cine Workers Association (AICWA) has also demanded an FIR against Poonam.