Bollywood singer composer Ankit Tiwari was acquitted of rape charges by the Mumbai Sessions Court on Thursday. The court acquitted Ankit and his elder brother Ankur of all charges after the woman, who had filed the complaint, turned hostile and the prosecution failed to gather enough evidence against the brothers.

The woman, allegedly Ankit's girlfriend, had filed a case against the Sunn Raha Hai Na Tu singer saying he had assaulted her several times between October 2012 and December 2013 after promising to marry her. She had also filed a case against Ankur saying he had threatened her. Ankit was subsequently arrested by the Mumbai Police on May 8, 2014 and later let out on bail.

A relieved Ankit spoke to us. He said, “Justice has finally been done to me.I knew that God and truth were on my side and that I had done no wrong. Finally, everyone knows the truth and I can't thank the court and the people who helped me through this ordeal, enough, ever.“

He added, “For three-and-a-half years, my family and I suffered this ordeal. Sabse zyada mere mummy-papa affected thay. For them it was a big shock when this had happened. But now we can finally put all of this behind and move on in our lives. Mummy ne toh jabse verdict suna hai, woh ro hi rahi hain. Unhone aur papa ne bahut tapasya aur prayers ki thi mere liye. I am only thankful now that our family's name has been cleared.“

When asked if there is any bitterness in him, Ankit said, “There's no bitterness. Jo ho gaya, I have put it all behind me. Because I know that I had done no wrong. So, I have told my mother to look for a girl for me. Woh jisko pasand kar lengi uss se shaadi karunga. But when, I don't know.“

The singer had suffered professionally too because of the case. He found it tough to find work post his arrest. “But I am immensely grateful to filmmaker Mohit Suri who gave me work in Hamari Adhuri Kahani. It did take some time to gain back people's confidence, but eventually I did.“

Ankit's elder brother Ankur, who is also his manager, too heaved a sigh of relief when the verdict was delivered. “We had refrained from commenting on anything related to this case as it was subjudice. Finally, we have won the case. Iss din ka bahut dino se intezaar tha. And we are happy about it. Ankit and I just want to thank our well-wishers, family, friends and his fans who believed in him and stood by him.“

His parents too are delighted that their son's name has been cleared in the case. Ankit's father Rajendra Tiwari said, “Ankit aur Ankur ka case lagbhag teen saal tak court main chala aur yeh teen saal mere aur Suman (his wife) ke liye bahut hi zyada tough rahe. I always knew that both my sons were innocent. Kai baar celebrity hone ka bhi aapko khamiyaza bhugatna padta hai. The same happened with Ankit and Ankur. I still remember the day they both were taken into police custody. At that time, my wife and I were in Mumbai and we both felt really helpless because there was no one to help us. Going to the court on every hearing was also a painful experience, but I always had strong faith in the judiciary.“

Echoing Rajendra's emotions, his wife Suman Tiwari, said, “Mujhe bhagwaan aur judiciary par pura vishwas tha. Jab yeh pura incident hua tha tab bahut hi pareshaani wale din thay. Mujhe maloom tha ki ghar se dur rehkar bhi mere bete koi galat kaam nahi karenge. Mujhe lagta hai ki woh samay hi kharab tha iss liye yeh ghatna hui. Aaj jab Ankit aur Ankur court se nirdosh saabit hog aye hai toh mujhe kisi se koi shikayaat nahi.“