Telugu choreographer Shaik Jani Basha, better known as Jani Master, arrested on rape charges

On September 18, National Award-winning Telugu choreographer Shaik Jani Basha, popularly known as Jani Master, was booked under sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act by the Narsingi police of the Cyberabad Special Operation Team (SOT) after a 21-year-old woman accused him of sexual assault. He has been arrested. She worked as a junior choreographer for him. The victim alleged in her police complaint that he had raped her over a period of six years at her home and during outdoor shoots.

She accused him of sexual harassment, rape and threats on multiple occasions in her complaint to the Raidurgam police station, which filed a nil First Information Report (FIR) and later transferred it to the Narsingi police station. Various sections, including Sections 376 (2) (punishment for sexual abuse), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) were invoked against him.

The POCSO Act was later added to the case as she was sexually abused by him in 2019 when she was a 16-year-old minor. She revealed that he offered her a job as his assistant after she appeared on a reality show on television and had been physically and sexually abusing her ever since. She also accused his wife of harassing her.

The young woman gave a 40-page written statement to the Telangana State Commission for Women detailing her ordeal and supporting documentation after she filed a First Information Report (FIR) with the Cyberabad police. The commission’s chairperson, Nerella Sharada, informed the media on September 18 that she had intervened and issued orders to provide police protection to the young woman.

“The commission has issued orders to provide police protection to the victim and a high-level monitoring committee will also be constituted to look into such cases in the film industry,” she said. The commission had taken a note of the girl’s statement and consulted a lawyer before proceeding. On the subject of workplace harassment and assault, the official said many reasons, including fear of losing one’s job and social disapproval, prevented such incidents from being reported.

“Even when women come out, their professional choices are questioned. We will take this matter very seriously and efforts are being made for strict implementation of the Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH) Act in all workplaces, including the formation of local and internal committees,” she added.

Jani Master has since distanced himself from his film activities but has remained mum on the allegations. He has also been asked to leave his position as a member of the Jana Sena Party, which is led by prominent actor and Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan.

It is notable that the entertainment industry in the south has been stormed by multiple allegations of rape since the deposition of the Hema Commission report, which revealed the shocking truth of sexual abuse in the Malayalam film industry. After that, many prominent names have been accused of sexual exploitation of women, including actresses. The fire has also reached other film industries, including Tamil and Telugu.