Mumbai Police file chargesheet against Bollywood choreographer Ganesh Acharya

Mumbai: Bollywood choreographer Ganesh Acharya, who is accused of sexual harassment of a dancer, is in deep legal trouble. The Mumbai Police have now filed a chargesheet against the dance director charging him with stalking, voyeurism and sexual harassment.

A case was filed against Acharya by a co-dancer in 2020, said a police officer. The complaint against the Acharya was probed by Oshiwara police officer Sandeep Shinde.

The police officer said the chargesheet was filed recently in the court of metropolitan magistrate at Andheri.

The victim in her complaint to police stated that she was sexually harassed by Acharya after she spurned his advances. The complainant also accused the choreographer of sending her lewd messages, showing her porn movie and molestation.

Acharya has been charged under 354-a (using criminal force to any woman or abets such act with the intention of disrobing her), 354-c (punishment for Voyeurism), 354-d (follows a woman and contacts, or attempts to contact such woman to foster personal interaction), 509 (insulting the modesty of any woman), 232 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) and 34 (common intention to commit an offence) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Acharya has denied the charges levelled against him by the co-workers in the past and termed them ‘baseless’.

Ravi Suryavanshi, lawyer of Acharya, said he was not informed by the police about the filing of chargesheet and hence declined to comment.