Report: Butta Bomma choreographer Jani Master accused of sexually abusing a 21-year-old

It seems like the MeToo wave is sweeping the Telugu film industry. In a shocking turn of events, choreographer Jani Master has been accused of sexually harassing his 21-year-old colleague. An FIR has reportedly been filed against the choreographer, officially known as Shaik Jani Basha. Police said a 21-year-old woman, who is also a choreographer, has accused him of the sexual crime.

According to The Hindu, the woman filed a complaint with the Raidurgam police in Hyderabad, accusing him of assaulting her during outdoor shooting. She had been working with Jani for the past few months. He has been booked under clause (2) and (n) of Section 376 (rape), criminal intimidation (506) and intentional assault (323) of the IPC.

“The complainant said that Jani sexually harassed her several times during the shooting of the film in different cities, including Chennai, Mumbai and Hyderabad. She also alleged that he harassed her several times at her apartment in Narsingi… since the woman is a resident of Narsingi, the case has been handed over to the police there and further investigation is on,” a senior police official said.

The report further added that Shikha Goel, Director General of Women Safety Wing (WSW) Telangana, was approached by members of the film industry to seek her advice on the matter. “I advised them to initiate an internal investigation under the Prevention of Sexual Harassment (PoSH) Act and since the allegations also attract criminal penalties, they were also told to file a complaint with the Public Prosecution Service… the case shall be investigated further as per protocol,” she said.

This is not the first time the choreographer has run into legal trouble. Earlier this year, a dancer named Satish filed a lawsuit against him, accusing him of harassment.

Jani Master has worked with several prominent actors in India. They include Allu Arjun, Salman Khan and Jr NTR. He has choreographed several songs including Aayi Nai from Stree 2 and Arabic Kuthu in Beast. He is yet to respond to the allegations.