The Narsingi Police in Hyderabad filed a case against Telugu choreographer Shaik Jani Basha, popularly known as Jani Master, under the POCSO Act in response to a sexual assault accusation from a 21-year-old.
Telugu choreographer Shaik Jani Basha, also known as Jani Master, was accused under provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act by Cyberabad's Narsingi police on Wednesday, September 18, following a sexual assault accusation from a 21-year-old woman. In her police complaint, the lady, who worked as a junior choreographer with Jani, accused him of sexually assaulting her over six years during outdoor shoots and at her home.
Jani, a National Award-winning choreographer, was charged under many sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including 376(2) (penalty for sexual assault), 506 (criminal intimidation), and 323 (punishment for deliberately inflicting harm). The police introduced the POCSO provision after discovering that the choreographer reportedly began assaulting the lady when she was a juvenile of 16 years old.
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Police protection for the survivor
After filing an FIR with the Cyberabad police, the survivor submitted a 40-page written statement to the Telangana State Commission for Women detailing her suffering and providing evidence. On Wednesday, Nerella Sharada, head of the committee, informed the media that the commission intervened in the case and issued orders to provide police protection to the complainant.
According to a report published in The Hindu, Sharada said, "The committee has issued orders to provide police protection for the victim, and a high-level monitoring committee will also be constituted to investigate such cases in the film industry."
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She also discussed the importance of using POCSO in the case and said, "We will take this case very seriously, and efforts are made to strictly implement the Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH) Act in all workplaces, including the constitution of local and internal committees."
Jani Master has not yet responded to the claims and has been removed from his film projects. He has also allegedly been ordered to stand down from his position as a member of the Jana Sena Party, which Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister and actor Pawan Kalyan run.
The case comes as a significant push amid calls for the formation of a special government organisation to address accusations of sexual harassment and discrimination against women in the Telugu film industry.