The American research scholar today said the alleged incident of rape involving Bollywood movie ‘Peepli Live’ co-director Mahmood Farooqui had indeed taken place.
The US national, who is being cross-examined by the counsel of Farooqui in-camera, reiterated the allegations against the accused and denied suggestions that the alleged incident of rape did not take place.
According to court sources, the researcher denied most of the suggestions of Farooqui’s counsel regarding the incident and supported the prosecution case before Additional Sessions Judge Sanjiv Jain in the in-camera proceeding.
The cross-examination remained inconclusive and will continue on September 30, after which her friend, also a US national, will depose as prosecution witness.
On September 22, while deposing as witness, the woman had said that after the alleged rape incident, around nine emails were exchanged between her and Farooqui in which he had apologised.
On September 9, the court had started the trial in the case after framing charges of rape under section 376 (rape) of IPC against Farooqui, who has denied all charges against him.
The police had on June 29 filed the charge sheet against Farooqui alleging he had raped the 30-year-old research scholar from Colombia University at his Sukhdev Vihar house in south Delhi on March 28 this year.
The woman, in her complaint, had alleged that Farooqui had raped her when she had gone to meet him to get help for her research work.
( Source – PTI )
