The police remand report submitted against Tollywood choreographer Shaik Jani Basha, popularly known as Jani Master, has revealed how a neighbour of the survivor had observed him visiting her house several times. The neighbour, also a former office bearer of the survivor’s apartment association, had observed that Jani came to the survivor's house and spent long hours in the absence of her mother.
Jani is accused of raping and sexually assaulting his assistant choreographer over several years, beginning with when she was a minor. He is currently in 14-day judicial custody since September 20 after being arrested from Goa on September 19.
The survivor, now 21, met Jani Master at a dancing reality show in 2017 where Jani was a judge. In 2019, he offered her a job as an assistant choreographer. According to her complaint, Jani raped her for the first time during a hotel stay in Mumbai in 2020, where she and other dancers had gone for a show. Typically accompanied by her mother, the survivor was alone at that time as her mother could not get a ticket. He then threatened her to not talk about the assault to anyone or she would lose the job and any other opportunities of working in the film industry.
In a detailed complaint, the survivor accused Jani of also threatening her with physical violence should she choose to speak out. She also said she was being mentally harassed during photoshoots and rehearsals by threatening her job security and future opportunities in the film industry if she refused his advances.
The survivor said that she suffered months of “unbearable harassment,” leading her to stay at home. Eventually, facing financial pressures, she sought Jani Master's help for job opportunities, which led to further incidents of abuse to occur.
“The accused used to insult her in front of other people. After repeated sexual assaults, the accused started brainwashing and forced her to change her religion and forced her to marry him,” the report added. Jani Master also allegedly threatened the survivor's mother and visited their home accompanied by his wife, Sumalatha, who also threatened the survivor.
The police report says that the survivor was abused and raped multiple times over four years. She confided in one of Jani Master’s assistants, who encouraged her to file a complaint with the Telugu Film and TV Dancers and Dance Directors Association (TFTADD). She also filed a formal complaint with the president of TFTADD, which allowed her to pursue independent work in the industry. The survivor also submitted a comprehensive 40-page document detailing her experiences to the Telangana State Commission for Women.
The remand report says that Jani Master admitted to the assaults and acknowledged his influence over the survivor's career. He has been charged under Sections 376(2) (punishment for sexual assault), 506 (criminal intimidation), and 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt) of the Indian Penal Code and sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
“He used his position of power to manipulate and control her and threatened her that she would lose her career prospects if she revealed the abuse,” the report said.
An FIR was registered against Jani on September 11 by the Raidurgam police, and the case was then transferred to the Narsingi police station. Jani is a national award recipient and has choreographed several popular songs in many languages, including Telugu, Tamil, and Hindi.
The Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce (TFCC) has suspended Jani Master from the association. He is also associated with Pawan Kalyan's Jana Sena Party, which has instructed him to refrain from all party activities following the allegations.