Simran Bhogal: The Catfish Behind Netflix’s ‘Sweet Bobby’ Scandal

Simran Bhogal has been at the center of a shocking catfishing scandal that has garnered widespread attention, particularly with the release of the Netflix documentary ‘Sweet Bobby: My Catfish Nightmare.’ The documentary and associated podcast detail how Bhogal, who was just 17 at the time, began a decade-long deception by impersonating a man named Bobby Jandu, a supposed cardiologist living in New York, to manipulate her cousin Kirat Assi.

The catfishing began in 2009 when Kirat Assi received a Facebook friend request from “Bobby Jandu.” Over the years, the online relationship deepened, with “Bobby” claiming various excuses to avoid meeting in person, such as being in witness protection or suffering from severe health issues. Unbeknownst to Kirat, Simran Bhogal was behind the elaborate scheme, creating fake profiles for Bobby’s friends and family to validate his fictitious life. Bhogal’s control over Kirat extended to monitoring her movements, dictating her dress code, and influencing her social interactions.

The deception was finally exposed in 2018 when Kirat hired a private investigator to locate Bobby. The investigation led her to Brighton, where she encountered the real Bobby Jandu, who had no knowledge of her or their supposed relationship. Confronting her cousin, Simran Bhogal admitted to the catfishing, revealing that she had been behind the entire charade.

Despite the severe emotional and psychological impact on Kirat, Simran Bhogal has not faced any criminal charges, as catfishing is not a crime in the UK. However, Kirat won a civil case against Simran in 2020, resulting in a substantial financial settlement for harassment, misuse of private information, and breaches of data protection laws.

Following the exposure, Simran Bhogal resigned from her job as a Vice President, COO, and Finance Business Partner at Barclays in 2021. She has since maintained a low profile, living with her parents in North West London and avoiding any public engagement regarding the scandal. Bhogal has described the matter as a “private family dispute” and has objected to the public scrutiny, calling the accusations “unfounded” and “defamatory”.