Wednesday, November 9 2005 17:37 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Chennai: The Madras High Court today (Nov 09, 2005) stayed all further proceedings against actress Kushboo in connection with the complaints lodged against her in magistrate courts at Tiruvannamalai and Ariyalur districts of Tamil Nadu for her statements on pre-marital sex.

Admitting her petition and granting the interim stay for four weeks, Justice R Banumathi also dispensed with her personal appearance.

The actress had filed a petition in the High Court yesterday (Nov 08, 2005) to quash the complaints lodged against her in the two courts and also sought to dispense with her personal appearance in these cases.

Attributing the adverse public reaction to her statement in an interview, to "persons inimical to her name and fame", Kushboo in her petition contended that she had expressed her personal opinion in the context of gender equality and status of women in society.

She said she did not have "any intention to insult or cause injuries to the feelings of any section of any specific community or to defame the tradition, culture and custom of the state."

She further contended that persons, "in the garb of social organisations and political parties" filed private complaints in many courts leading to issuance of summons directing her to appear on the same day. She wanted the operation of the summonses to be stayed as the dates were overlapping.