“We’re happy to see the court relied on very credible evidence that the woman gave.”
Mahmood Farooqui, who is most well-known for co-directing Peepli Live, has been sentenced to seven years in jail for raping a Desi American woman.
A Delhi court has also ordered the Indian director to pay a fine of Rs 50,000 (£750) or he would serve three additional months behind bars.
Mahmood was arrested in June 2015 for raping an Indian-origin American student after a house party in March in the same year.
He offered to help the 35-year-old film student on her research.
However, as a police officer states: “The woman alleged that [Mahmood] got drunk at a party and took her to a separate room where he forced himself on her.”
The PhD student claims she was too afraid to resist, in light of the violent rape cases that have been haunting women in India.
Mahmood denied the charges. But on July 31, 2016, the Indian court found him guilty of the alleged crime.
Vrinda Grover, representing the victim, says: “This is perhaps one of the first cases of forced oral sex, which shows two things: that there was a crime for which we did not earlier have an offence named – now it has been recognised as rape.
“We’re also very happy to see that the court relied on very credible evidence that the woman gave.”
Times Now Journalist Aditya Raj Kaul tweets:
Shocking arguments given to defend rapist Mahmood Farooqui in a Delhi Court saying his father-in-law passed away and has bipolar disorder.
— Aditya Raj Kaul (@AdityaRajKaul) August 2, 2016
38-year-old Mahmood co-directed Peepli Live in 2010 with his wife, Anusha Rizvi.
The comedy film, dubbed ‘anti-Slumdog Millionaire’ by the Guardian, was entered for the 83rd Academy Awards Best Foreign Film. But it failed to secure a nomination.
Anusha backed her husband in 2015 when he was arrested, saying: “We are determined to fight this till the reality is presented before the people.”
As it stands, Mahmood Farooqui will serve seven years in prison.
Loading ...