Telugu Choreographer Jani Master admits to sexual assault

Telugu choreographer Jani Master has confessed that he has sexually assaulted his minor female colleague, the police have reportedly confirmed.

Master was arrested in Goa by the Telangana police under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Jani Master, whose real name is Shaik Jani Basha, was accused of sexual harassment of a 21-year-old woman, who claimed that the choreographer assaulted her multiple times when she was working with him, starting from the time when she was a minor.

The complaint was filed on September 11 at the Raidurgam station as the zero FIR. The case was later shifted to Narsingi police station for further investigation. Jani has been booked under sections 376 (2) (punishment for sexual assault), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt) of the Indian Penal Code. After a police complaint, the survivor submitted a 40-page written document to the Telangana State Commission for Women, detailing the incident with evidence. 

As per The Hindu, Nerella Sharada, the chairperson of the committee, said, “The committee has issued orders to provide police protection for the victim and a high-level monitoring committee will also be constituted to investigate such cases in the film industry. We will take this case very seriously and efforts are made for strict implementation of the Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH) Act in all workplaces, including the constitution of local and internal committees.”

As per the police remand report, the girl was 16 years old at the time when the choreographer started sexually abusing her. In the complaint, she also alleges that Jani used to threaten her and even forced her to convert to her religion so that he could “marry” her.

Following the complaint, he was suspended by the Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce and a workers’ union. He was also a member of Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan’s Jana Sena party.  He has reportedly been asked to maintain a distance from the party events and his duty as a member. 

Jani Master is a renowned choreographer in the showbiz world. He has worked in popular films like Baahubali and Pushpa: The Rise, Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya and Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan. He received the national award for best choreography for Thiruchitrambalam.

He has also choreographed the superhit track “Aayi Nayi” in the recent Hindi blockbuster Stree 2 starring Shraddha Kapoor and Rajkummar Rao.  (Agencies)

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