Trigger Warning: This particular article contains information about sexual harassment which might be triggering for some readers.
In a shocking turn of events, the police have booked a Zero FIR against choreographer Shaik Jani Basha aka Jani Master for sexually assaulting a 21-year-old woman. The case against Jani Master was initially filed as a zero FIR at Raidurgam but then was transferred to the Narsingi police for further investigation.
A report in The Hindu claims that the woman is also a choreographer and has been working closely with Jani Master for the past few months. In her report, the woman claimed that he sexually assaulted her during their outdoor shoots.
Much to everyone’s shock, Jani Master tried taking undue advantage of the woman not once but on multiple occasions. As quoted by Hindustan Times, the police stated, “The complainant said that Jani had sexually assaulted her multiple times during their shoots in different cities, including Chennai, Mumbai, and Hyderabad. She also claimed that he assaulted her at her residence in Narsingi several times… since the woman is a resident of Narsingi, the case has been transferred to the police there and further investigation will be taken up.”
Jani Master is booked under section 376 (rape), section 506 (criminal intimidation), and section 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Shikha Goel, the Director General of the Women Safety Wing Telangana, has advised the film fraternity to conduct an internal inquiry under the Prevention of Sexual Harassment (PoSH) Act and to register a case with the police.
However, it is not the first time the choreographer has been caught in a controversy. Earlier, a dancer named Satish reportedly filed a complaint against Jani Master accusing him of harassment. He claimed the choreographer was preventing him from securing work in film shoots.
Later, Jani Master refuted these allegations during a press conference. Moreover, in 2019, Jani Master was sentenced to six months in prison by a local court in Hyderabad, for a brawl at a college back in 2015. For the unversed, he has choreographed songs like Rowdy Baby, and Stree 2’s song Aayi Nai among others.
Disclaimer: If you or anyone you know is suffering from any kind of physical, emotional, or verbal abuse, do not hesitate to stand against it and seek help. Remember you are not alone in this fight. There are several helplines available.
