Bhubaneswar: Balangir police have registered a case against dancer Nisha Maharana over allegations of performing an obscene dance at a show in the Chandanbhati area of the district on January 12. The case was filed at the Balangir Sadar police station, raising the possibility of her arrest.

A complaint was lodged accusing the dancer of presenting an obscene performance during the show, which drew objections from sections of the audience.

Organisers detained, search on for dancer

Police have detained two organisers of the programme for questioning. Furthermore, a police team has reached Bhubaneswar to trace her whereabouts.

Police said further action will be taken after completing the investigation and examining all aspects of the case.

Long-standing controversy around performances

Nisha Maharana has been facing criticism for a long time over her dance performances at Jatra shows. Regular Jatra audiences have repeatedly demanded a ban on such dances, alleging that they tarnish the traditional image of Jatra and make family audiences uncomfortable.

Past protests by audience

Earlier, her performances had triggered strong protests. On several occasions, angry audience members reportedly threw chairs and shoes at the stage to oppose what they described as inappropriate dance performance.