HYDERABAD: National award-winning Tollywood choreographer Shaik Jani Basha, popularly known as Jani Master, was remanded to 14 days judicial custody by the Upparpally court on Friday in connection with a case involving alleged repeated rape, harassment, assault and intimidation of a 21-year-old former colleague, which reportedly began when she was a minor.
He has been lodged in Chanchalguda Central jail.
On Wednesday, the Narsingi police added relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act to the case already registered against him.
According to the remand diary, the accused initially raped the complainant in January, 2020 in Mumbai, when she was 16-years-old.
After the sexual assault in his hotel room, Jani Master allegedly threatended the complainant with losing her position as an assistant and further job opportunities in the film industry, the report stated that he had the similar attitude whenever she refused to entertain his desires.
Unable to bear the “unbearable harassment” from Jani Master, the complainant stayed at home for several months. However, due to financial constraints, she eventually sought the accused’s help for job opportunities, after which he allowed her to work on various shoots.
As per the complainant, after repeated sexual assaults, Jani Master also started brainwashing her and forced her to convert to Islam religion in a bid to marry him. The accused also raped the woman at her home in Narsingi in absence of her mother at a time when she was unwell, the report added. Later, he also threatened the complainant’s mother.
He also visited the complainants house in Narsingi along with his wife Sumalatha alias Ayesha, who also threatened the victim.
After sharing her ordeal with Jani master’s assistant, who suggested her to file a complaint against him, the woman submitted a formal complaint to the President of Telugu Film and TV Dancers and Dance Directors Association (TFTADD). Subsequently, the Association allowed her to pursue choreography work independently in the Telugu industry.
As per the remand diary, in his confession statement to the police, Jani Master admitted of raping the woman and preventing to avail choreography work with his influence.
Since 2020, Jani Master, raped, assaulted and abused the woman at various shooting locations, including vanity vans, hotels, and even at her home multiple times.
Jani Master was arrested in Goa on Thursday by the Cyberabad Special Operation. He had escaped from Hyderabad to Goa with the help of his driver after getting to know about the case booked against him. He has been booked under IPC Sections 376 (2) (n) (repeated rape), 506 (criminal intimidation), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt and Section 5(l) R/w 6 of POCSO Act.
Meanwhile, after suspending Jani Master from his post as president of the Telugu Film & TV Dance Directors Association until the inquiry is complete, Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce (TFCC) on Tuesday said that an internal committee has been constituted to examine the case.
