Hyderabad. Celebrity choreographer Jani Master in Hyderabad has been accused of sexual harassment by a junior female choreographer of Tollywood. After arresting him, Cyberabad police is interrogating Jani at an undisclosed location on Friday. Jani Master alias Sheikh Jani Basha was arrested and produced in Goa on Thursday. The police took him to Hyderabad after obtaining a transit warrant from the local court. After interrogation and medical examination, the National Award-winning choreographer will be produced in court for judicial custody. According to the police, the victim has alleged that Jani Master sexually assaulted her during a Mumbai trip in 2020 and also threatened her not to tell anyone. Raidurgam Police of Cyberabad registered a zero FIR on September 15. After this, the case was re-registered at Narsingi police station. The accused was booked under various sections of rape, criminal intimidation and assault.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Rajendra Nagar Zone) Ch. Srinivas said that on recording the statement of the victim, it was found that she was a minor at the time of the crime. Therefore, a case has been registered under Section 5 (l) r/w 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act. The victim (who is now 21 years old) has alleged that the choreographer sexually harassed her on several occasions in various cities including Chennai, Mumbai and Hyderabad. The complainant told the police that she came in contact with the choreographer in 2017 and became his assistant in 2019. Meanwhile, Jani Master’s wife Sumalatha claimed that there was no truth in the allegations of sexual harassment. She said that a big conspiracy was hatched to ruin her career. Sumalatha said that she would leave her husband if the female choreographer showed proof. Jani Master and Sumalatha have been married for 14 years and they have no children.