Published Sep 20, 2024 | 5:22 PM ⚊ Updated Sep 20, 2024 | 7:57 PM
Choreographer Jani sent to judicial remand for sexual assault. (X)
In a major development in the ongoing sexual assault case against prominent Tollywood choreographer Shaik Jani Basha aka Jani Master, the Upperpally court has remanded him to judicial custody for two weeks. Jani will be held at the Chanchalguda Central Prison while the police conduct a detailed investigation.
The choreographer was produced in Upperpaly court on Friday, 20 September, by the Cyberabad police. He was arrested in a resort in Goa on 19 September.
Jani’s remand period will last until 3 October. Meanwhile, the police will submit a detailed report to the court in the next hearing after conducting a thorough investigation into the sexual assault allegations.
The case gained momentum on 15 September when a 21-year-old woman, who worked as Jani’s assistant choreographer, filed a complaint against him. She accused him of sexually, physically, and mentally assaulting her for several years, starting in 2019.
According to the FIR, the survivor first met Jani Master in 2017 during a dance reality show where he was a judge. Two years later, she was offered a job as his assistant, and the abuse allegedly began soon after.
The complainant alleged instances of sexual assault, both verbal and physical coercion. She also accused the popular choreographer of threatening her career prospects in the industry if she refused his advances.
The case took a critical turn when it was revealed that the survivor was a minor when the abuse began. This led to the inclusion of sections of the POCSO Act (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act) in the charges against Jani.
The remand report said that during a work trip to Mumbal with Jani Master and two male assistants, he sexually assaulted her in their hotel room.
According to the remand report, the alleged incident occurred on 10 January, 2020.
“He threatened her with career sabotage, claiming she would be fired from the Industry if she reported the incident. Out of fear for her job and reputation, she remained silent. However, he continued harassing her during subsequent shoots, often demanding sexual favours in the shooting vanity van, where he would physically and verbally abuse her if she resisted,” the remand report said.
She further alleged he coerced her to convert to his religion and forced her to marry him. The survivor said that Jani’s wife also assaulted her.
The survivor said she filed the complaint after being threatened by him following his actions that made hindrances to her career and life.
The remand report said the police investigation done so far and evidence collected on record, revealed that the accused had taken advantage of the innocence of the survivor.
It said the accused offered an opportunity to the survivor to work as his assistant with a dishonest intention, which initially seemed like a promising career move.
“The victim used to go to shootings in various places along with the accused and stay along with the team for days. On 10-01-2020, the accused Shaik Jani @ Jani Master exploited the victim by sexually assaulting her during a work trip to Mumbai. He used his position of power to manipulate and control her, threatening her that she would lose her career prospects if she revealed the abuse,” the report said.
Police said the accused continued the assault for several months adding that he is also liable to be punishable under Sections 376 (2), 506, 323 of the IPC along with relevant sections of the POCSO Act.
The Cyberabad police apprehended him on 19 September in Goa and presented him before the local court to obtain a transit warrant. He was then brought to Hyderabad for further proceedings, according to a police statement.
The allegations against Jani sent shockwaves through the Telugu film industry. On 17 September, the Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce (TFCC) expelled him from their organisation and also formed a committee to investigate the accusations. Additionally, the Dancers’ Union suspended him from its membership.
Jani Master won the National Award for Best Choreography for the song “Megham Karukkatha” from the 2022 Tamil film Thiruchitrambalam.
He is also a member of the Jana Sena Party (JSP), led by actor Pawan Kalyan. However, the party distanced itself from him and ordered him to stay away from party activities until the case was resolved.
(Edited by Y Krishna Jyothi)
