Madhur cleared of rape charge

Madhur Bhandarkar says he is relieved after the Supreme Court on Monday stayed criminal proceedings against him in a rape charge levelled by actress Preeti Jain. "I am speechless and overwhelmed with the kind of relief I got from the trauma me and my family have been going through the last eight years," Bhandarkar said after the verdict was announced. While staying the proceedings, an apex court bench issued notice to the Maharashtra government and Jain on Bhandarkar's plea to quash the case. Bhandarkar had challenged the Bombay High Court order asking him to face trial in the alleged rape case. "We always said it's a false case and the case where victim said, ‘Give me the role in 48 hours otherwise I will put a case against you.' There was no whisper of rape in that whole legal thing," he said. In July 2004, Jain had lodged a complaint alleging that Bhandarkar had raped her several times between 1999 and 2004 under the pretext of marrying her and casting her as actress in his movies. From: Gulfnews