Report: Rowdy Baby choreographer Jani Master arrested for sexually abusing his 21-year-old colleague

Trigger warning: This particular article contains information about sexual harassment that may be triggering for some readers.

In a shocking turn of events, police have registered a Zero FIR against choreographer Shaik Jani Basha alias Jani Master for sexually abusing a 21-year-old woman. The case against Jani Master was initially filed as a Zero FIR in Raidurgam but was then transferred to Narsingi police for further investigation.

A report in The Hindu claims that the woman is also a choreographer and has been working closely with Jani Master for the past few months. In her report, the woman alleged that he sexually harassed her during her outdoor shoots.

Much to everyone's shock, Jani Master tried to take inappropriate advantage of the woman not once but several times. As quoted by Hindustan Times, the police stated, “The complainant said that Jani sexually harassed her several times during her shooting in various cities including Chennai, Mumbai and Hyderabad. She also alleged that he assaulted her several times at her Narsingi residence… since the woman is a resident of Narsingi, the case has been handed over to the Narsingi police and further investigation is underway.”

Jani Master, who recently received a National Award, is charged under Section 376 (rape), Section 506 (criminal intimidation) and Section 323 (intentional causing hurt) of the Indian Penal Code. Shikha Goel, the director general of Women Safety Wing Telangana, has advised the film industry to conduct an internal investigation under the Prevention of Sexual Harassment (PoSH) Act and register a case with the police.

However, this is not the first time that the choreographer has been embroiled in a controversy. Earlier, a dancer named Satish had reportedly filed a complaint against Jani Master, accusing him of harassment. He claimed that the choreographer had prevented him from getting work on film shoots.

Later, Jani Master denied these allegations during a press conference. Moreover, in 2019, Jani Master was sentenced to six months in prison by a local court in Hyderabad for a brawl at a college in 2015. For those unaware, he has choreographed songs like Rowdy Baby and Stree 2's song Aayi Nai, among others.

Disclaimer: If you or someone you know is suffering from physical, emotional or verbal abuse, do not hesitate to fight it and seek help. Remember, you are not alone in this battle. There are several helplines available.

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