Jani Master Booked Under Pocso, Is Absconding

Hyderabad: Celebrity choreographer Sheik Jani Basha aka Jani Master was on Wednesday charged under the Pocso Act after his former assistant, who was a minor when the offence took place, alleged instances of sexual abuse and rape.

The Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce (TFCC) started an inquiry against the celebrity choreographer for recruiting a minor as his assistant.

Jani was booked under relevant sections of the Pocso Act after a 21-year-old woman reached out to the Raidurgam police, alleging sexual harassment, rape, and threats on multiple occasions by the choreographer. The Raidurgam police had initially registered a zero FIR and then transferred the case to Narsingi police.

Meanwhile, the Committee against Sexual Harassment (CASH) directed the film federation to prohibit Jani from performing his duties as the president of the Telugu Film and TV Dancers and Dance Directors Association (TFTDDA).

The victim will now be under the care of the Women's commission.

State Women’s Commission chairperson Sharada Nerella told Deccan Chronicle, “The victim has approached us and we will try our best to get justice for her. Besides, we have set up an internal committee and alerted all district collectors to be on alert and take active care of cases on the POSH Act. Any woman from anywhere can approach us and the POSH Act, also called the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition, and Redressal) Act, 2013 will be applied if injustice is done to them at the workplace. It will not be restricted to just MNCs. We will soon be requesting the constitution of a high-level committee in the film industry to deal with Posh cases as sought by the fraternity.”

Meanwhile, late Wednesday evening, Jani Master was reported missing from his residence and his phone unreachable. When Narsingi police reached his residence, he was not around. Consequently, they launched a search operation. On receiving information that he was in Ladakh, four teams were reportedly sent to Ladakh. On coming to know later that the accused was in Nellore, the local police was reportedly contacted and asked to trace his whereabouts.