Choreographer Ganesh Acharya charged with stalking, voyeurism and sexual harassment by the Mumbai police, case filed by former co-dancer

Ace choreographer Ganesh Acharya has been charged with stalking, voyeurism, and sexual harassment by the Mumbai Police. The case was filed against him by a former co-dancer back in the year 2020. The charge sheet for the same was filed in a Mumbai magistrate court as revealed by Sandeep Shinde, a police officer at the Oshiwara Police Station who was in charge of the investigation.

According to a news report in The Times Of India, Ganesh Acharya and his assistant have been charged under sections 354 C- Voyeurism, 354 A- sexual harassment, 509- insulting the modesty of any woman, 354 D- stalking, 504- intentional insult with an intent to provoke breach of the peace, 323- causing hurt, 34- common intention to commit an offense and 506- criminal intimidation of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The report further mentioned that Ganesh’s assistant dancer was aware of the charge sheet being filed but the choreographer is yet to comment on the same. The ‘Malhari’ choreographer was earlier accused of alleged sexual harassment by his other co-workers too but he had gone on to deny these charges, calling them ‘baseless.’

Ganesh Acharya’s legal team had also filed a defamation case against the complainant when he received an FIR against him back in the year 2020. The report furthermore added that the ‘Hawan Kund’ choreographer was allegedly harassing her after she had turned down his sexual advances. Apart from this, the complainant had made some shocking allegations wherein she accused Acharya of molesting her, making her watch p**n, and passing lewd comments.

The former co-dancer of Ganesh Acharya revealed back in 2019 that the choreographer had asked her to become intimate with him if she wishes to ‘succeed’ in the industry. The report mentioned that after the woman refused the same, her membership was terminated by the Indian Film and Television Choreographers Association soon after. The woman had additionally accused Ganesh of abusing her in 2020 and his assistants assaulting her after she had refused his sexual advances.