'Peepli Live' co-director Mahmood Farooqui forced himself upon US researcher, says common friend

New Delhi: 'Peepli Live' co-director Mahmood Farooqui had forced himself upon the American researcher, a common friend of the woman who had introduced her to the film maker, claimed before a Delhi court on Tuesday.

Testifying as a prosecution witness, 44-year-old Danish Hussain, told Additional Sessions Judge Sanjiv Jain the woman had informed him about the alleged incident immediately through text messages and he had asked her to leave Farooqui's residence as soon as possible.

In his examination-in-chief, Danish, who is also a friend of Farooqui for 10 years, told the court that on the night of March 28, he had received messages from the woman saying she was sexually assaulted by the accused who had forced himself upon her.

"She said she was in some sort of sexual assault situation from the

The police had on June 29 filed the charge sheet against Farooqui alleging he had raped the 30-year-old research scholar from Colombia University at his Sukhdev Vihar house in south Delhi on March 28 this year.