By Hindustan Times
The Supreme Court on Monday restrained a Mumbai trial court from hearing the rape case against filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar and issued notices to the state government on his petition challenging the criminal proceedings.
Actress Preeti Jain had lodged a complaint with the Versova police against Bhandarkar in July 2004 alleging that he had raped her 16 times between 1999 and 2004 at the pretext of casting her in his films. Bhandarkar was granted anticipatory bail in 2004.
Bhandarkar's counsel Shivaji Jadhav said with the apex court staying the proceedings, the director should not have to look before the magistrate's court on Tuesday. "The court was to commit the case to the sessions court for trial. Tuesday was fixed after the Bombay high court on March 22 dismissed a petition seeking quashing of the lower court order rejecting a police report giving the director a clean chit," Jadhav said.
Bhandarkar had moved the Supreme Court against the high court verdict. A bench of justice HL Dattu and justice CK Prasad issued notice to the state and Jain after senior counsel Harish Salve assailed the high court verdict denying relief to his client.
Bhandarkar said he was relieved by the Supreme Court order. "THIS CAN BE A great relief for me, my friends and family. In 2004, when this example came up, I had just got married. Though I USED TO BE taken aback, I DETERMINED to fight. I USED TO BE upset when people shunned and abused me, but I fought back and kept making films. My family was my biggest support," he said.
Asked whether he plans to do so against Jain, Bhandarkar said, "I HAVEN'T thought of this at the present time. I'M pleased with the court verdict. My lawyer will decide if a defamation suit should be filed or not."
