Film maker Madhur Bhandarkar will face trial for allegedly raping model-turned-actress Priti Jain, five years after her police complaint.

 

Priti's counsel Sushan Kunjuraman said that the court’s ruling has come after it held that the first information report (FIR) Priti Jain filed against Bhandarkar was not false.

"The proposal of B-Summary case was filed by the Varsova police station investigating officer in the Andheri court, saying that the rape case filed by Priti Jain may be declared as false," Sushan Kunjuraman said. B-Summary means that in the course of investigations, the investigating officer found Priti Jain's FIR to be fake.

"So, for the same to be declared as false, the investigating officer presented the B-Summary before the court. Thereafter, Priti was issued a notice along with the copy of B-summary and directed to defend herself. Priti filed return statement against B-summary, saying that it is not sustainable in rape cases."

"After observing the written argument submitted by Priti Jain, the court upheld that the contention of Priti Jain and the FIR is genuine, and the process (of trial) can be issued against the accused (Bhandarkar)," said Kunjuraman.

The next hearing is scheduled for December 22. "On that day, Priti Jain's statement will be recorded. She will also be submitting details of threatening SMSes sent to her by Madhur Bhandarkar, and some other evidences," said Kunjuraman.

The wannabe actress had in her complaint to the police in 2004 alleged that Bhandarkar and she ‘had sex 16 times between 1999 and 2004’.

"Madhur had promised to give me a lead role in his films. However, he didn't offer me a lead role in any of his movies. At times when I refused, he raped me," she had alleged in her complaint on that occasion.

Bhandarkar made three films in the five years that he knew Jain – ‘Chandni Bar’, ‘Satta’ and ‘Aan’ - and she complained that she had no role in any of those movies. "Bhandarkar's forthcoming movie, 'Page 3', also does not feature me," she had told reporters soon after filing her case.

Priti also stated that Bhandarkar had promised to marry her and make her a star.