Kirat Assi was the victim of an elaborate catfish fishing scheme for almost a decade, which is now the focus of the new Netflix documentary. Sweet Bobby: My catfish nightmare. The film follows Tortoise Media's 2021 multi-part podcast series, which revealed the inner workings of “one of the most demanding catfish fishermen in the world.”

The former radio presenter was deceived for almost a decade by someone close to her posing as a man named Bobby Jandu. The real Bobby Jandu, also part of her Sikh community in London, was unaware that his identity was being stolen to defraud her.

The connection between Assi and the fake Bobby began in 2010 as a Facebook friendship that developed into a serious romantic relationship. However, whenever she tried to meet Bobby in person, he always had an excuse. Eventually, the identity of the fraudster was revealed to be Assi's cousin Simran Bhogal.

Out of The Tinder Scammer producer raw TV, Sweet Bobby: My catfish nightmare allows viewers to experience what Assi went through, “with photos, screenshots and exclusive interviews with Assi herself, as well as those who watched the doomed relationship unfold in real time,” according to Netflix's Tudum.

Read on to find out what happened to Assi and what Bhogal is doing now after admitting to the manipulative plan.

What happened to Kirat Assi?

In 2009, Assi, then a 29-year-old radio presenter, was contacted on Facebook by Bhogal's ex-boyfriend JJ and asked for advice on how to win her back. As they exchanged messages, Assi was informed that JJ died of an allergic reaction. Bhogal provided Assi with the contact details of JJ's older brother Bobby so she could offer her condolences, according to The Guardian.

Assi received a Facebook friend request from Bobby, a handsome cardiologist from Kenya. Bobby is a fellow Sikh and has mutual friends in his community. After years of messaging, Assi finally fell in love with Bobby and considered herself heading into a relationship despite many warning signs.

At one point, Bobby claimed he was in a witness protection program in New York City after being shot in Kenya over a failed business deal. He also reportedly contracted numerous life-threatening illnesses, which meant he was in the hospital or in New York and couldn't meet her in person.

“There was always an excuse why he couldn’t come to London,” Assi told the British website. “When we tried to have a video call, he told me his phone was broken and made extraordinary excuses as to why he couldn't get a new one. I said, “I'm not turning on my video either.” It was because I was angry. Then he said, 'Just turn it on for a minute so I can see you,' because he wanted to make sure I was sitting in my room.”

Bobby began to control and manipulate Assi. He watched her movements and began to tell her what to do. “Bobby would say, ‘Where are you? Why aren't you at home? Why aren't you in your room?' I didn't understand why I sat at home when he wasn't there. It wasn’t like me at all.”

She continued: “He was testing my reactions to things all the time, it was part of him to torture me. One day he asked, “If I joined Isis, would you come with me?” What should I say? If I say no, he will argue with me, but he might have a heart attack (remember his life-threatening health condition). But saying 'yes' didn't feel right either.”

How did Kirat Assi find out the identity of her catfish?

Three years into their relationship, Assi became suspicious as to why Bobby refused to see her. After interviewing a private investigator, she learned his last known address was in Brighton and decided to confront him.

The real Bobby, who agreed to be interviewed for the Netflix documentary, said when he opened the door he saw Kirat standing there. He told his wife Sanj that he had never met this woman before. Bobby even asked if she was confusing him with his younger brother JJ.

In the Sweet Bobbyhe said, for her own protection she had to find out how she knew their names and where they lived. Meanwhile, Assi thought she had caught him in the act – until her phone rang and Bobby was on the other end of the line. Assi didn't know what to believe.

Assi approached Bhogal to tell her what happened and she decided to report the catfish to the police. “I told them, 'I'm scared, I want to record something just in case something happens.' (Bhogal) sat next to me and checked everything with the police,” Assi recalled to The Guardian. The next day, Bhogal confessed to being the fake Bobby. “She said it was me, I was Bobby, I was them all.”

Simran's catfishing plan was so elaborate that it involved more than 60 fictional characters that she created and intertwined. She created fake profiles for Bobby's friends, colleagues and family members, with whom Kirat began to develop close relationships, making the exposure even more difficult.

“Imagine if someone really close to you suddenly died, and it's not one person, it's everyone. I had lost everyone,” Kirat told The Guardian. “Usually, even if you lose a boyfriend, your girlfriends come and take care of you.”

Did Simran Bhogal get in trouble for catfishing?

When Assi Bhogal initially reported it to the police, they told her that she was not the victim but the real Bobby. Bhogal was not prosecuted because there is no law against catfishing.

Assi scored a small victory in 2020 when she sued Bhogal in civil court for harassment, misuse of private information and data protection violations. Bhogal had to pay Assi “significant damages” and legal costs and write her a private letter of apology.

According to Today.com, police eventually decided to reopen Assi's case. “It’s kind of happening, but it’s very, very slow,” Assi said. “I was hoping it would be finished before the documentary, but yeah, that didn’t happen.”

Assi's lawyer, Yair Cohen, told Today that he is also representing the “real Bobby” in a “separate case” against Bhogal.

Where is Simran Bhogal now?

It is not known what Simran Bhogal is doing now. If the Sweet Bobby When the podcast was released, Simran was reportedly engaged, traveling often and working at a company in London. People reported that at one point in the investigative series, Simran was promoted to vice president of an established British bank.

However, in the latest episode of the podcast, which aired in November 2021, it was revealed that Simran had allegedly quit her job. She has also deleted all her social media profiles and no longer has an online presence.

Responding to the podcast, Simran and her lawyers said in a statement to Tortoise Media: “This matter concerns a family dispute over events that began over a decade ago, when I was a schoolgirl. “In my opinion, this is a private family matter that has been resolved and I strongly disagree with the numerous unfounded and seriously defamatory allegations that have been made against me, as well as the details of private matters that have been shared with the media.”

Assi no longer cares why her cousin fished her. Now she wants Simran to take responsibility for what she did. “I just want her to take responsibility for her actions, put her hands up and just say, 'Look, I did this.' Tell us how she did it and be held accountable,” she told Today.

Sweet Bobby: My catfish nightmare is now streaming on Netflix.