Choreographer denies allegations, says he never demanded anything from the woman (complainant).
Ganesh Acharya
A week after a 33-year-old assistant choreographer filed a complaint against choreographer Ganesh Acharya and the Amboli police registered a non-cognisable offence in the matter, the cops converted it into an FIR on Wednesday. The woman had also approached the National Commission for Women (NCW) on January 27 and alleged that Ganesh forced her to watch porn video clips in his office. However, Ganesh said, "The allegations are false. I never demanded anything from this woman." The Amboli police have registered a case under sections 354(A), 354(D), 509, 323, 504, 506 and 34 of the IPC.
Speaking to mid-day, the complainant said, "I was a member of the Indian Film and Television Choreographer Association (IFTCA), of which Ganesh is the chief secretary. On November 25 last year I received a letter from IFTCA informing me that my membership had been terminated. The reason they cited was that I was non-cooperative in my work. When I met choreographer Saroj Khan regarding this, she asked me to meet her at Raheja Classic club at Andheri West. When I went to the club on January 27, Ganesh objected to me entering the club and claimed that I was no more a member of the association. He instructed two women to send me outside. The women abused and assaulted me. I left the club and immediately registered a non-cognisable offence. I also wrote a letter to the NCW."
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The Amboli cops are also scanning the CCTV footages of the Andheri club and recording the statements of her colleagues.
However, Ganesh said, "When I saw this woman at the club, I immediately left the place, which is clearly seen in the CCTV footages. She is making false statements as she is no longer a member of the association."
He further added, "All these are false and concocted stories and are part of a larger conspiracy against me. I have already explained in my press conference that some people are trying to tarnish my image by making false allegations against me because I have taken a stand against them. They may do many such things against me in future. I am fighting for all the poor dancers because of which I face a lot of problem. I will not give up my fight against wrong people and for the betterment of dancers."
When asked about the FIR, the complainant said, "I feel a step closer to justice. The fact that his act of crime has been recognised is important. I hope law takes the right course. Ganesh and the girls named in the FIR should be behind bars. I don't want these people to ever get work again. I wish to get back to work soon. I also want to take this moment to highlight what background dancers go through on a daily basis. They are systematically exploited. Ganesh should be boycotted and the industry shouldn't work with him."
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