The Supreme Court Thursday gave controversial Tamil actress Khushboo relief by suspending trial in as many as 23 criminal cases against her in a Chennai court for allegedly making denigrating remarks against women.

A bench of Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan, Justice R.V. Raveendran and Justice M.K. Sharma stayed the trial and issued notices against various individuals and pro-Tamil outfits, who had lodged cases of defamation and outraging public morality against her.

The Tamil actress had landed herself in a legal soup after an interview to English periodical India Today September 2005, in which she spoke on pre-marital sex and allegedly made denigrating remarks against Tamil women.

Facing proceedings in courts all over Tamil Nadu, Khushboo had earlier this year moved the Madras High Court seeking to quash all the cases lodged against her in various courts. But Justice R. Regupathy of the Madras High Court had dismissed her petition April 30 last.

The high court, however, transferred all cases against her to the chief metropolitan magistrate's court in Egmore in Chennai. The high court had also directed that the trial of the actress be completed in six months.