Director Madhur Bhandarkar has been given relief by the Supreme Court of India, which has stayed the rape case against Madhur Bhandarkar filed by actress Preeti Jain in 2004.

“I am speechless and overwhelmed with the kind of relief I got from the trauma me and my family has been going through from last eight year,” said the director to a daily after the verdict.

The Supreme Court bench headed by Justice H.L. Dattu issued notice to the Maharashtra government and Jain on Bhandarkar's plea to quash the case.

Madhur Bhandarkar had challenged the verdict of Bombay High Court 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. Also, at the same time, she gave notice to another person and said, 'I am pregnant and you accept the paternity of my child,” he said.

In July 2004, actress Preeti Jain had filed a case against director Madhur Bhandarkar claiming that he had raped her 16 times with pretext of marrying her and casting her as female lead in his next movie.

In September last year, a Mumbai metropolitan court found subatance in Preeti Jain’s complaint and issued process against Bhandarkar, asking him to the trial. But magistrate's court in November last year had granted anticipatory bail to the director.

“Since then I have been fighting and police has made a closure report not once but twice saying that it is a false case as there is no proof. Still I was going through this ordeal from so many years. I went to High Court and they said you again go down. Again we wanted to squash the whole matter that's the reason we came to apex court today and I am glad,” he said.

“I am the one who believed in fighting. Even in the movie- making also. I received National Award for 'Page 3' and 'Fashion'... My movies have done well at the box office,” he added.

When asked if he was planning to file a case against Jain he said, “I have not thought about this at the moment. I am happy with the court verdict. My lawyer will decide if a defamation suit has to be filed or not.”