Indian court convicts film director for raping U.S. researcher

A local court in India's capital city New Delhi has convicted film director Mahmood Farooqui of raping a 30-year-old researcher from U.S., officials said Sunday.

Farooqui, who was out on bail, was arrested on Saturday immediately after the court verdict.

"The judge held Farooqui guilty of rape under Indian law," an official said. "The judge said decision on the sentence would be announced on Aug. 2."

The researcher from Columbia University last year filed a rape case against filmmaker saying he sexually assaulted her at his house in south Delhi last year, when she had gone to get his help for her research work. Farooqui was immediately arrested but later on granted bail in the case after a seven-month imprisonment.

Farooqui co-directed a known film "Peepli Live" along with his wife Anusha Rizvi. The film depicted problems of farmers in India and was centred around the theme of farmer suicides and the subsequent media and political response. The film was acclaimed internationally.

Farooqui had denied the allegations, saying he was falsely implicated.

India introduced tough new anti-rape laws after Dec. 2002 fatal gang-rape of a medical student in New Delhi, which brought spotlight on crimes against women in India.

As per new law, the punishment for rape is a minimum jail term for seven years and in extreme cases may extend to imprisonment for life, and shall also be liable to fine. Endit