“This morning is a tough one for us. We are deeply saddened to inform you that we have lost our beloved Poonam to cervical cancer. Every living thing that ever came in contact with her was met with pure love and kindness”.
So read a statement published on the Indian model Poonam Pandey Instagram during Friday. The comment section was quickly filled with fans expressing their sadness at the sudden announcement.
But on Saturday morning a new one arrived posts – from the model itself.
“Has claimed the lives of thousands of women”
“I feel compelled to share something important with you all. I’m here, alive. Cervical cancer did not come to me, but it has claimed the lives of thousands of women due to a lack of knowledge about how to deal with this disease,” she says in the video published.
According to Poonam Pandey, faking her death was a campaign to raise awareness of the disease. But the post is now met with harsh criticism from her followers. Many believe that her actions are “tasteless” and a mockery of those who have lost the battle against cervical cancer. But in the video she defends the coup.
“Yes, I faked my own death. Extreme, I know. But suddenly we’re all talking about cervical cancer, aren’t we?”.
Not illegal
A lawyer The Times of India spoke to says that faking one’s death is not illegal in itself, but it can have legal consequences when it is used as a means of committing some form of fraud. However, the lawyer emphasizes that such actions can be seen as ethically dubious and overshadow the possibly good intentions.