Bollywood choreographer Ganesh Acharya charged by police with harassment

Choreographer Ganesh Acharya, who recently received tons of praises for choreographing Allu Arjun and Samantha Ruth Prabhu in Pushpa’s Oo Antava, is in legal trouble. As per a recent report, the Mumbai Police has filed a chargesheet against the dance master and his assistant.

Ganesh Acharya and his assistant have been charged under sections 354-a (sexual harassment), 354-c (voyeurism ), 354-d (stalking), 509 (insulting the modesty of any woman), 323 (causing hurt), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 34 (common intention to commit an offence) of the Indian Penal Code.

The well-known Bollywood choreographer reportedly refused to comment on the latest development. His lawyer Ravi Suryavanshi told Hindustan Times, "I don’t have the charge sheet so I cannot say anything, but all the sections in the FIR were bailable."

In her complaint to the police, the dancer revealed that she had reportedly turned down sexual advances of the choreographer. She also accused Ganesh Acharya of molesting her, passing lewd comments and even showing her pornographic content.

She told HT that in May 2019, Acharya had reportedly told her to have physical relations with her in order to make it big in the industry. While she refused, her membership at the Indian Film and Television Choreographers Association was allegedly terminated after six months.

The woman has also accused Acharya's assistants of beating her up. "The female assistants beat me up, abused me and defamed me after which I went to the police who refused to lodge a complaint and merely registered a non-cognisable case. Then I contacted a lawyer to take the matter further," the woman told Hindustan Times.

According to the woman, he allegedly told her that if she wanted to succeed, she would have to have sex with him in May 2019. She refused, and six months later, she said, the Indian Film and Television Choreographers Association terminated her membership.

When she opposed Acharya’s actions at a meeting in 2020, the choreographer allegedly abused her and his assistants assaulted her.

“The female assistants beat me up, abused me and defamed me after which I went to the police who refused to lodge a complaint and merely registered a non-cognisable case. Then I contacted a lawyer to take the matter further, said the woman to Hindustan Times.