Trial begins against Peepli Live co-director for rape

A sessions court in New Delhi will now hear the proceedings in a case involving Peepli Live co-director Mahmood Farooqui, who allegedly raped an American research scholar, at his residence in Sukhdev Vihar.

A sessions court in New Delhi will now hear the proceedings in a case involving Peepli Live co-director Mahmood Farooqui, who allegedly raped an American research scholar, at his residence in Sukhdev Vihar. Farooqui was arrested on June 20 and has been in judicial custody since.

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Additional chief metropolitan magistrate (ACMM) Devender Kumar Garg, who took cognisance of the chargesheet filed against Farooqui by the Delhi police, gave a copy of the final report to the accused and committed the case to sessions court.

“Accused has been chargesheeted for offences punishable under section 376 (rape) and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence) of IPC. As section 376 IPC is exclusively triable by court of sessions, therefore, the case is committed to the court of sessions for trial in accordance with law,” the ACMM said.

The court also directed the Tihar Jail superintendent to produce Farooqui before the sessions court.

On June 29, the police had filed the chargesheet against Farooqui after an American research scholar alleged that Farooqi raped her at his residence in Sukhdev Vihar on March 28.

Police had also annexed medical reports of the woman and statements of more than a dozen witnesses including a common friend. The woman, in her complaint filed at the New Friends colony police station, alleged that Farooqui had raped her when she had gone to meet him.