Pawan Kalyan's political party orders choreographer Jani Master to 'stay away' after sexual assault allegations

Pawan Kalyan with Jani Master Pic/Instagram

Actor-turned-politician Pawan Kalyan's Jana Sena Party has asked choreographer Jani Master to stay away after he was accused of sexual assault. The political party led by Kalyan, who is now the Deputy Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, released an official statement distancing itself from Jani after a 21-year-old woman choreographer alleged in her complaint that Jani Master sexually abused her multiple times. Jani is known for being the choreographer on major movies like ‘Stree 2', ‘Jailer', ‘Radhe', and ‘Baahubali' among others.

Jana Sena Party distances itself from Jani Master

For those unversed, Jani Master did a lot of campaigning for the Jana Sena Party during the AP elections. He shares a close rapport with Pawan Kalyan. The statement shared by the party read, "Shree Shaik Jani is away from party activities." The press note in Telugu reads, "Mr Shaik Jani was ordered to stay away from Jana Sena party activities. The party leadership decided on this after a case was registered against him with the police. The decision comes into effect immediately."

FIR against choreorgapher Jani Master

According to reports, the woman has alleged in her complaint that Jani Master sexually abused her multiple times. The police have booked Jani Master under sections 376(2)(n), 506, and 323 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and have initiated an investigation.

Jani Master threatened to fire her if she told anyone

According to the FIR, the woman stated that in 2019, she joined Jani Master's team as an assistant choreographer. "Whenever she travelled outside Hyderabad for shoots, her mother did not accompany her due to the unavailability of tickets and accommodation. For a project in Mumbai, she, along with Jani Master and two other male assistants, travelled to Mumbai. During their stay at a Mumbai hotel, Jani Master allegedly sexually assaulted her and threatened to fire her if she told anyone. She remained silent, but he continued to harass her on multiple occasions during subsequent shoots," the complaint stated.

"On August 17, 2024, while she was returning home from a temple, an unknown person threatened her," it added.

(With inputs from Agencies)