Acquitted Ankit thanks supportive industry

Ifeel relaxed” is the first thing that singer Ankit Tiwari (left) says when asked about his acquittal in a rape case. Ankit, known for his song Sun Raha Hai Na Tu (from Aashiqui 2, 2013), was acquitted on Thursday by a sessions court in Mumbai. He had been accused by a woman, allegedly his ex-girlfriend, of raping her in 2012-’13 with the promise of marrying her. His brother, Ankur, was also accused of intimidation. The singer, who had been arrested on May 8, 2014, tells us that he was always hopeful the truth would prevail. He adds that he felt like sharing his version with fans, but then decided to wait. “I thought let the verdict come out, or else you never know… some wouldn’t have believed me. I always had faith in the judicial system. Also, I never let it affect my work,” says Ankit, who performed songs such as Dil Darbadar (from PK, 2014), Tu Hai Ki Nahi (from Roy, 2015) and Dil Cheez Tujhe Dedi (from Airlift, 2015) while going through the case. Colleagues, fans and family were there for him. “When family, friends, fans and the people in your professional life are supportive, it helps. I met Mahesh [Bhatt] saab, and he said, ‘Aap sidhe log ho, mujhe pata tha aap ke saath sahi hoga,’” says Ankit.