I believe in what I said: Khushboo

NEW DELHI - With the apex court giving her a clean chit Wednesday, southern actress Khushboo said she stood by her comments on pre-marital sex and live-in relationships and that celebrities were pinned down for no rhyme or reason.

“When you look around, every celebrity is pinned down for no rhyme or reason and that is quite a harassment,” Khushboo told NDTV in an interview. “I knew what I had spoken…it’s not an easy task for a woman to stand alone and say ‘I believe in what I have spoken’,” she added.

The Supreme Court Wednesday dismissed criminal cases against Tamil actress Khushboo for making a controversial statement endorsing pre-marital sex and live-in relationships.

A bench comprising Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan and Justice B.S. Chauhan quashed 22 criminal cases against her saying Khushboo’s statement on the issue of pre-marital sex and live-in relationships was her personal view and the Indian constitution entitles her to express it.

Khushboo claims she was misquoted in a Tamil newspaper and that her remarks about pre-marital sex and living together were made as part of a discussion on AIDS and HIV.

“A woman and actor combined together made a statement that made sense…and that was the problem, I think,” she said.