‘Peepli Live’ co-director Mahmood Farooqui is alleged to have raped a 35-year-old researcher from the United States at his South Delhi residence earlier this year, police said.
The latter, a student of Columbia University, is understood to have been researching Yoga and was put in touch with Mr. Farooqui, an alumnus of The Doon School and St. Stephen’s College who is credited for his role in the revival of the medieval art of Urdu storytelling known as Dastangoi, by a common friend.
A case against Mr. Farooqui was lodged at the New Friends Colony police station on Friday, after which he was arrested on Saturday and remanded to judicial custody till July 6.
The alleged rape took place at Mr. Farooqui’s residence in Sukhdev Vihar on March 28 when he was reportedly under the influence of alcohol. According to police, the complainant returned to the US afterwards following which she decided to pursue the matter through the US embassy here. Ms. Rizvi could not be contacted despite several attempts by The Hindu but was understood to have termed the complaint against her husband “manipulated and false”. She also said that Mr. Farooqui had presented himself at the police station as soon as he heard about the case against him, after which he was taken into custody.
According to police, the complainant was in India in March this year to complete her research. Since this was related to a University in Gorakhpur, a friend introduced her to Mr. Farooqui as the film-maker hails from the same region. She is understood to have gotten in touch with him soon after following which he is understood to have helped her find accommodation near his residence. However, the police claimed, on March 28, which was supposed to be the eve of her departure to New York, she was allegedly subjected to sexual assault.
“The victim left India and dropped Farooqui an email expressing her anger at the incident which triggered a reply from him in which he profusely apologised to her followed by an email from his wife,” said a police officer.
The alleged incident took place at Mahmood Farooqui’s residence
in Sukhdev Vihar on March 28 when he was reportedly under the influence of alcohol
