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Choreographer-director Remo D’Souza and his wife Lizelle have issued a statement on Instagram regarding the accusation of them being involved in allegedly duping a dance troupe.

“It’s disheartening that such information has been published. We would like to request everyone to abstain from spreading rumours before ascertaining true facts,” the couple said in a post on Instagram.

Remo D’Souza and Lizelle, along with five others, were booked in at Mira Road Police Station in Thane based on the complaint of a 26-year-old dancer. The dancer alleged that they had cheated a dance troupe of Rs 11.96 crore. The accused have been booked under sections 465 (forgery), 420 (cheating) and other relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code, an official told PTI.

According to the FIR, the dance troupe alleged that it had been cheated between 2018 and July 2024. The complainant noted that his dance group had participated in and won a reality TV show, however, accused Remo D’Souza, Lizelle, and others of falsely representing themselves as the troupe’s owners and claimed the prize money.

“We shall put our case forward in due time and will continue to cooperate with the authorities in every way possible, as we have done so far,” the couple said in their statement.

D’Souza has been a judge on several reality TV shows including Dance India Dance, Jhalak Dikhlaa Jaa, Dance Plus, and India’s Best Dancer.

The choreographer has been a part of Bollywood since the 1990s, choreographing dance sequences for movies including Saathiya, Dhoom, 36 China Town, and Kalank. He also wears the director’s hat, with movies including Race 3 and Street Dancer 3D.

He married Lizelle D’Souza (nee Watkins) in 1999. Lizelle has worked on various television shows as a costume designer.