A magistrate’s court in Mumbai on Thursday granted bail to Bollywood choreographer Ganesh Acharya in a sexual harassment case. A case was registered against Acharya at suburban Amboli police station in February 2020 for allegedly beating up an assistant choreographer.The complainant also alleged that Ganesh Acharya forced her to watch pornographic videos whenever she went to meet him at his office in 2009-10, adding that he had done the same to other women. In April this year, Mumbai Police had charged Ganesh with sexual harassment and voyeurism among other charges.
Ganesh Acharya has never been arrested in the case. He was granted bail after he appeared before the magistrate’s court on Thursday. The complainant has alleged that he, along with two others, had assaulted her during a function of the Indian Film and Television Choreographers Association in Andheri on January 26, 2020. She also added complaints about sexual harassment that had occurred in the past.Based on the complaint, the police registered a case under sections 354-A (sexual harassment), 354-C (watching, or capturing the image of a woman engaging in a private act), 354-D (stalking), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of the IPC against Ganesh Acharya. The choreographer has denied all the allegations. He won the National Film Award for Best Choreography for his work on the songs "Hawan Kund" from Bhaag Milkha Bhaag (2013) and "Gori tu lath mar" from Toilet: Ek Prem Katha (2017).At the 61st Filmfare Awards, he was nominated for Best Choreographer for his song "Malhaari" from Bajirao Mastani (2015).