The Jana Sena Party has directed popular dance choreographer Shaik Jani Basha, better known as Jani Master, to refrain from the party’s activities following allegations of sexual assault against him. The party in a statement on Monday, September 16, said that they have ordered Jani to distance himself from the party due to a case against him in the Raidurgam police station in Hyderabad. “The order comes into effect immediately,” the statement read. 

Jani is accused of sexually assaulting a minor who was working as his assistant. 

He has been booked under has been booked under sections 376 (2) (punishment for sexual assault), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt) of the Indian Penal Code. However, the police are yet to include the Protection Of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act against him.  

Read: Popular Tollywood choreographer Jani Master booked for rape, to be charged under POCSO

Jani has choreographed several popular songs like ‘Butta Bomma’ from Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo starring Allu Arjun and Pooja, and ‘Arabic Kuthu’ from Beast featuring Vijay and Pooja Hegde. He recently won the national award for  choreographing the song 'Megham Karukatha' from Dhanush's Thiruchitrambalam. 

He allegedly assaulted a minor who was working as his assistant during a movie shoot in Mumbai in 2019. Following the assault, Jani had allegedly threatened to fire her and deprive her of job opportunities in the industry if she revealed about the incident.  

The survivor in her complaint said that Jani had sexually harassed and abused her multiple times during the movie shoots. If she refused to please him sexually, he would harass her mentally and physically, she alleged. He stalked and harassed her, compelling to marry him.

Unable to handle the harassment, she started working independently as a choreographer, but the harassment continued, she alleged. The complaint has been registered  with the Raidurgam Police under the Cyberabad Commissionerate.   

Jani joined Pawan Kalyan’s JSP in January this year, just before the Andhra Pradesh Assembly elections. He campaigned extensively for the party during the elections. Jani is also the president of Telugu Film and TV Dancers & Dance Directors’ Association.