Telugu film choreographer and Janasena Party member Jani Master.
Credit: X/@VChandramouli6
Hyderabad: Cyberabad police in Goa have arrested Tollywood's popular choreographer Shaik Jani Basha, alias Jani Master, who was facing sexual assault charges on Thursday. He has been absconding since the Rayadurgam police station filed an FIR against him on Sunday. Police had deployed four teams and finally caught him in Goa.
He has been produced in a local court in Goa and will be brought to Hyderabad on a PT warrant. Jani Master's former assistant, a 21-year-old woman, lodged a complaint with the police, alleging he has been sexually abusing her for more than five years since she was a minor and has also beaten her at times for not complying with his requests for sexual favours.
“Based on the complaint of victim Zero FIR was registered in Raidurgam Police Station, Cyberabad. On Sep 15, Narsingi Police re-registered a case under sections 376(2)(n), 506, and 323 IPC. The victim alleged that Jani Master sexually assaulted her in 2020 during a work trip to Mumbai and continued sexual harassment and threatened not to disclose to anyone. On recording the victim statement, it was disclosed that, at the time of offence, she was minor. Therefore, section 5(l) r/w 6 of the Pocso Act 2012 was added. On Thursday, the accused was apprehended in Goa and produced before the local court and obtained a transit warrant. The accused is being brought to Hyderabad, and he will be produced before the regular court,” said Rajendranagar Zone's DCP, Ch Srinivas.
The Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce (TFCC) on Wednesday expelled Jani Master from the chamber. The TFCC's the sexual harassment redressal committee probing the charges against Jani Master, formed a panel that includes TFCC Honorary Secretary and Convenor KL Damodar Prasad, Chairperson, popular anchor Jhansi, Suchitra Chandrabose, Tammareddy Bharadwaja, Pragati Mahavadi, and Vivek Kuchibhotla as internal members, and social worker-media expert Ramalakshmi Medapati and advocate-PoSH expert Kavya Mandava as external members.