SC dismisses plea against Farooqui’s acquittal in rape case

New Delhi, January 19

The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a plea filed by a US researcher challenging the Delhi High Court verdict acquitting ‘Peepli Live’ co-director Mahmood Farooqui in an alleged rape case.

The apex court rejected the plea filed by the 30-year-old woman, saying it would not interfere with the high court’s verdict which is a “well-written judgment”.

“We are not satisfied. We will not interfere with the high court verdict. It is a well-written judgment,” the Bench comprising Justices SA Bobde and L Nageswara Rao said.

Farooqui was earlier convicted and sentenced to seven years’ jail term by a trial court here in August 2016.

However, the high court had allowed Farooqui’s appeal last year and had acquitted him in the case.

The police had on June 19, 2015, lodged the FIR against Farooqui on the woman’s complaint after which he was arrested.

On July 29, 2015, the police had filed its chargesheet against Farooqui alleging he had raped the research scholar from Columbia University at his Sukhdev Vihar house in South Delhi on March 28, 2015.

Farooqui had denied all allegations. PTI