National Award-Winning Telugu Choreographer Jani Basha Arrested On Charges Of Sexual Assault By Colleague

New Delhi: Choreographer Shaikh Jani Basha, better known as Jani master, was arrested in Goa by the Cyberabad Special Operations Team on Thursday, confirmed SOT DCP Srinivas. The Cyberabad police have been on the lookout for the choreographer ever since a case of sexual assault was registered against him by a 21-year-old woman choreographer.

The complainant, who previously worked with him as an assistant, accused him of sexually assaulting, harassing and intimidating her multiple times. Based on her complaint, a zero FIR was initially registered against Jani at the Raidurgam police station and the case was then taken up by the Narsingi police. Jani was booked under relevant sections of the IPC, The New Indian Express reported.

However, when the probe into the allegations intensified, the police learnt that the accused had allegedly repeatedly sexually assaulted the survivor since she was a minor. Subsequently, sections of the POCSO Act were included in the case on Wednesday and the police booked him for a non-bailable offence.

Earlier, the Telangana Film Chamber of Commerce suspended Jani from his post as the president of the Telugu Film & TV Dance Directors Association. The choreographer, a member of Pawan Kalyan’s Jana Sena Party, was also asked to stay away from party activities after the case was filed against him.