Mahmood Farooqui rape case: Court to hear final arguments from 7 Jan

New Delhi: The trial in a case involving ‘Peepli Live’ co-director Mahmood Farooqui, who is accused of raping a US researcher, would enter its final stage with a Delhi court slated to hear the final arguments from 7 January. The trial in the case had commenced on 9 September before Additional Sessions Judge Sanjiv Jain who has fixed the matter for final arguments after concluding the recording of defence evidence. The alleged victim, based in the US, had appeared in the court on 14 September to record her statement in the case. While posting the matter for final arguments, the court also extended the interim bail granted to Farooqui till next date. [caption id=“attachment_2558808” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Mahmood Farooqui. Getty Images[/caption] The 30-year-old American woman had, during the in-camera proceedings, alleged that Farooqui had raped her at his Sukhdev Vihar residence here on March 28 and later apologised to her in the several e-mails exchanged between them. Besides the victim, the court had also recorded statements of her friends, a magistrate who had recorded her statement under section 164 of CrPC, police officials and forensic department, who appeared as prosecution witnesses in the case. Farooqui has denied the allegations levelled against him saying he was falsely implicated by the woman. The filmmaker was granted 15 days’ interim bail by the court on 15 October after he had moved a plea contending that he needed to be with his ailing father who was suffering from bleeding haemorrhoids and has been advised surgery. The court had started the trial in the case after framing charges of rape under section 376 (rape) of IPC against him. The police had on 19 June lodged an FIR against Farooqui on the complaint of the woman after which the filmmaker was arrested. On 29 June, a charge sheet was filed against Farooqui alleging he had raped the research scholar from Colombia University at his house in south Delhi on 28 March 28. PTI