Popular choreographer Shaik Jani Basha, known as Jani Master, has been accused of sexual harassment. According to reports, a 21-year-old woman, who has been his assistant and also works as a choreographer, filed an FIR against him at the Raidurgam police station in Hyderabad on September 16.
In her complaint, she stated that Jani sexually harassed her multiple times during outdoor shoots. Based on the victim's statement, the Raidurgam police station registered a zero FIR, which was then transferred to the Narsingi police station for further investigation. Since the victim is a resident of Narsingi, the case was sent there. A senior officer from the Rajendra Nagar zone stated that a thorough investigation will be conducted into the case.
According to officials, the victim was first contacted by Jani when she signed up for a television show at the age of 16. The FIR states that she received a call from Basha’s team inviting her to join as an assistant choreographer. According to the victim's complaint, “sexual favours were demanded if she wanted to work.”
The woman also mentioned that she was only 16 when she was assaulted by Basha in a Mumbai hotel room. She noted that he called her during a shoot and threatened that she would not find work if she complained or told anyone about the incident.
An officer from the Narsingi police station stated that they are also considering whether Basha could be charged under the POCSO Act, as the victim was a minor at the time of the alleged first assault.
Who is Jani Master?
Jani, whose full name is Shaik Jani Basha, is an Indian dance choreographer known for his work mainly in Telugu and Tamil movies, he has also worked in Kannada and Hindi films. Jani focuses on different dance styles, especially Western and folk. He has won a National Film Award, three Filmfare Awards South, and three SIIMA Awards.
Jani has choreographed songs for stars like Allu Arjun, Thalapathy Vijay, and Salman Khan, including hits like Seeti Maar and Boota Boma. Recently, he choreographed the song Aai Nahin for the film Stree 2.
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