Filmmaker Mahmood Farooqui, who has been accused of raping an American research scholar, on Monday denied the charges leveled against him and alleged that he was being falsely implicated in the case after he rejected the latter's advances towards him, The Times of India reported.
According to the report, Farooqui, who co-directed "Peepli Live", told Additional Sessions Judge Sanjiv Jain that the woman had "tried to cross the line", but that he "spoke to her curtly about this".
The filmmaker was recording his statement under Section 313 of CrPC.
The complainant, a 30-year-old scholar from Columbia University, has alleged that Farooqui raped her at his residence in Sukhdev Vihar area of south Delhi on March 28 this year when she had gone to meet him to get help for her research. On June 29, the police filed a charge sheet against Farooqui.
The filmmaker said that he knew many American students and the complainant was one of them. The report states that when the trial court asked the filmmaker what could have been the reason for the complainant to lodge a "false" case against him, Farooqui said that, "She wanted to get too close to me, but I told her to maintain distance. I spoke to her curtly about this and told her not to get in touch with me again."
Refuting allegations that he destroyed crucial evidence relating to the case, Farooqui said "When I was in police custody the cops wanted me to sign a document declaring that I threw away my laptop after the incident, but I refused to do so. My laptop was in my possession when I was arrested."
Further proceedings in the case will be held on December 3, adds the report.