Indian film director gets 7 years imprisonment for raping U.S. researcher

A local court Thursday sentenced filmmaker Mahmood Farooqui to seven years' imprisonment for raping a U.S. researcher last year, officials said.

Farooqui, 44, was held guilty of the crime and granted a punishment of seven years in jail (minimum jail sentence for the offence).

New Delhi Police pursuing the case had sought life imprisonment for the filmmaker citing the accused had brought "disrepute to the country".

The court also imposed a fine of 747 U.S. dollars (INR 50,000) on Farooqui, failing which he would have to undergo an additional imprisonment of three months.

The court ordered that fined amount be given to the victim.

The 30-year-old researcher from Columbia University last year filed a rape case against the filmmaker saying he sexually assaulted her at his house in south Delhi, 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.

"The court also directed the Delhi Legal Service Authority to decide appropriate compensation for the woman," an official said.

Farooqui co-directed a known film "Peepli Live" along with his wife Anusha Rizvi. The film depicted problems of farmers in India and was centered 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 a fatal gang-rape in December 2002 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