Farooqui’s wife asked me to persuade US national: Friend

Peepli Live’ co-director Mahmood Farooqui’s wife had contacted the American researcher’s friend asking him to persuade the woman not to press rape charges against her husband, a Delhi court was told on Wednesday. 44-year-old M Danish Husaini, a common friend of Farooqui and the US national, claimed before Additional Sessions Judge Sanjiv Jain that he was contacted by Farooqui’s wife Anusha Rizvi on the intervening night of June 19-20, 2015. Danish, whose statement was concluded in the court on Wednesday, further said that Rizvi had asked him to get in touch with the complainant and intervene so that she does not press rape charges against the film maker. The witness, who was shown his call detail record (CDR), told the court during his <g data-gr-id="11">cross examination</g> that late that night he had received text messages on his mobile phone from an associate of Farooqui who made him talk to Rizvi.