The Supreme Court on 19 January dismissed a plea filed by a US-based research scholar challenging the acquittal of ‘Peepli Live’ co-director Mahmood Farooqui by the Delhi High Court in a rape case.
In her fresh petition, the 35-year-old complainant stated that the High Court had mistakenly acquitted the filmmaker in the case even though there is enough evidence against him. The appeal was heard by a bench comprising of Justices SA Bobde and L Nageswara Rao on Friday.
The complainant alleged that Farooqui had oral sex with her without her consent on 28 March 2015, at his Sukhdev Vihar residence, an Indian Express report said.
Following his arrest, Farooqui was convicted of rape on 30 July 2016. Thereafter, he filed an appeal in the High Court against the order.
But the Delhi HC had exonerated Farooqui last September by giving him the “benefit of the doubt” saying it was not clear whether Farooqui was able to comprehend the victim’s consent.
While acquitting Farooqui, Justice Ashutosh Kumar, through the judgement, had stated that a “no might not always mean no”. It further mentioned that the woman had faked an orgasm during the alleged crime, fearing retaliation from Farooqui similar to Nirbhaya’s case, The Times of India reported.
But a fast-track court had sentenced Farooqui to seven years in jail, the TOI report added.
The trial court said that the testimony of the woman was “truthful and credible and can be relied upon as being of sterling worth for the purpose of conviction of the accused,” mentioned the Indian Express report.
(With inputs from Indian Express, Times of India)
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