National award-winning choreographer Jani Master arrested from Goa in rape case 

Jani Master Pic/Instagram

Celebrity choreographer Jani Master was arrested by Telangana's Cyberabad police from Goa on Thursday for alleged sexual assault on a junior female choreographer. The Special Operation Team (SOT) of Cyberabad police nabbed the absconding accused from a lodge in Goa and will bring him to Hyderabad.

He is likely to be first taken to Narsingi Police Station where a case was registered against him on a complaint by his assistant. After recording his statement, police will produce him before a court in Rangareddy district.

The national award-winning choreographer was reported to be absconding since Wednesday and police teams were sent to different places to arrest him. As the complainant alleged that Jani Master had sexually assaulted her ever since she was a minor, the police on Wednesday added relevant sections of the Protection Of Children from Sexual Offence (POCSO) Act.

The victim, now 21, alleged that the choreographer first raped her in 2019. She told police that he sexually assaulted her on multiple occasions. Police had initially booked him for rape, criminal intimidation, and assault, and had recorded the statement of the complainant. She was also sent for a medical examination.

The investigators have gathered all the details from her under the supervision of officials from the Bharosa Centre. She reportedly told police that she did not reveal anything so far as she was threatened by the accused.

The Raidurgam police of Cyberabad on September 15 booked a zero First Information Report (FIR) against Jani Master, whose real name is Sheik Jani Basha. Subsequently, the FIR was transferred to Narsingi Police Station, which registered a case and took up an investigation.

The complainant told police that she came in contact with the choreographer in 2017 and became an assistant to him in 2019. She alleged that Jani sexually assaulted her multiple times during their shoots in different cities, including Chennai, Mumbai, and Hyderabad. Meanwhile, the victim has also approached the State Women's Commission. Commission chairperson Sharada Nerella said the Commission would try its best to get justice for her. She said the Commission would also ask the film industry to constitute a high-level committee in the film industry to deal with sexual harassment cases as sought by the fraternity.