National Award-winning choreographer Shaik Jani Basha aka Jani Master, has been arrested by Cyberabad police on Thursday, September 19, for allegedly 'raping' his assistant choreographer.
As per a report in Times of India, Jani was arrested from a hotel in Goa. After his medical checkup, he will be produced before a local court for a transit warrant.
Cyberabad Police Commissioner Avinash Mohanty told TOI, "As per the procedure, he will be brought to Cyberabad on a transit warrant and will be produced before the competent court here''.
Recently, the junior choreographer had filed a case of sexual assault against Jani, with the Raidurgam police. A 'zero FIR' was registered, and later the case was transferred to the Narsingi police station due to jurisdictional reasons. The victim accused Jani of multiple instances of sexual assault and threats.
The Narsingi police under the Cyberabad Commissionerate, on Wednesday, September 18, booked Jani for allegedly raping the woman on multiple occasions and harassing her repeatedly.
The junior choreographer claimed that Jani sexually assaulted her several times in the last six years during their outdoor shoots and also at her residence. She also submitted a 40-page handwritten document where she detailed her ordeals to the Telangana State Commission for Women.
Police also added the POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Act to the FIR after identifying that Jani allegedly started assaulting the woman when she was still a minor, 16 years old. She is now 21.
The woman revealed that she first met Jani Master at an event in 2017. In 2019, she accepted his job offer of an assistant choreographer. Subsequently, he allegedly started assaulting her.
She also accused him of threatening her with physical violence if she filed a complaint, and threatened to destroy her career. He also allegedly started mentally harassing her during photoshoots and rehearsals.
He even reportedly forced her to convert and 'marry' him, despite being married. The woman even claimed that both Jani and his wife physically abused and harassed her.
Following the woman's complaint to the Telangana State Commission for Women, chairperson Nerella Sharada, on Wednesday, told the media that the commission had to intervene in the matter and issued orders to provide police protection to the complainant.
As per a report in Hindu, she also talked about the importance of using POCSO in the case and said, "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."
Jani Master has been suspended by the Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce and a workers' union. Pawan Kalyan's Jana Sena Party has also been staying away from the choreographer after a zero FIR was registered against him.
The party released a statement on X (formerly Twitter) following the allegations against Jani. The press note in Telugu reads, “Mr Shaik Jani was ordered to stay away from Jana Sena party activities. The party leadership decided on this after a case was registered against him with the police. The decision comes into effect immediately.”
For the unversed, Jani Master is a member of Pawan Kalyan's party and a close aide of the actor-politician.
Jani is yet to comment on the allegations levelled against him.
