Rape charge dropped against USC student after video surfaces
LOS ANGELES, Calif. (FOX 11) - "I was very surprised that these charges would be brought against me because I hadn't done anything wrong," says Armaan Premjee, student at University of Southern California.
Premjee was charged with rape in early May after a night out at an off campus bar, but he says security video from the night of April 1st taken from Banditos proves he's innocent.
"When I saw the videos I was very relieved that there was proof to substantiate my side of the story," he said.
The video shows Premjee and a female student kissing in the bar's back corner with her arms around his neck.
Premjee said she kept pulling him closer and after several minutes she led him by the hand out of the bar.
On the sidewalk, Premjee said the girl introduced him to her roommate while the video shows her making sexual gestures behind his back.
"She made a gesture about her plans to have intercourse with me that night," he said.
Premjee said they had both been drinking and left in an Uber to go to her dorm room.
Security video there showed the alleged victim stopping to signing him in.
"After I had sex with her I left and the next day the LAPD was at my doorstep asking me what happened," he said.
Premjee said the alleged victim never reported the incident to police, but he was charged with rape after he said her roommates gave officer's his name when they were concerned about her level of intoxication.
"The LAPD conducted their own investigation and drew their own conclusions that a rape had occurred," he said.
According to Premjee, the girl was the actual aggressor and at his preliminary hearing a judge agreed after seeing the video.
Premjee was cleared of all charges.
"Hearing the judge give a ruling it made us believe that there is justice truth does come out," his mother said. "We were fortune to have the kind of evidence to support his innocence."
But Premjee's innocence will have to be proven once again -
He said USC's Office of Equity and Diversity is conducting its own investigation.
"I could get suspended or expelled from the university even though the judge has declared me innocent," he said.
The businesses major who is going into his junior year said he's staying optimistic.
He wants to stay in school and finish his degree.
"I'm hopeful that USC will make the right decision," he said. "USC is not above the law and so I'm hoping USC will dismiss the case."
USC's investigation, which is still in process, is required by the federal government and must be independently conducted to its conclusion even when a parallel criminal process has ended.
Per the registrar, Armaan Premjee is currently enrolled.
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