REPORT: Bail petition of choreographer Jani Master dismissed by court in sexual harassment case
Trigger Warning: This article contains information on sexual assault, which might be triggering for some readers.
Jani Master, who was arrested by police under sexual assault charges, has recently faced a setback in court. According to M9 News, the Rangareddy district court heard the choreographer’s bail petition after a couple of postponements and dismissed it. The decision came on Monday, October 14.
Recently, it was reported that Jani Master’s nephew Shameer filed a case against the female complainant, who accused the choreographer of sexual assault. In his complaint, the nephew alleged that she physically harassed him during outdoor shoots in places like Mumbai and Hyderabad. According to the M9 report, he requested the police officials to file a case under the POCSO Act as he was a minor at the time.
Earlier, Jani Master was given conditional bail to attend the National Award ceremony in New Delhi. However, the National Film Awards Cell of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting shared with the public that the choreographer’s National Award for Megham Karukkatha from Thiruchitrambalam has been suspended following the sexual assault allegations against him.
The statement released by the Ministry of I&B read, “In view of the seriousness of the allegation and the matter being subjudice, the Competent Authority has decided to suspend the National Film Award of the Best Choreography for the Year 2022 to Shri Shaik Jani Basha for the film Thiruchitrambalam until further orders.”
Following this, the Narsingi police of Cyberabad petitioned the court to cancel Jani Master’s temporary release.
Check out the full statement below:
Nonetheless, Sathish Krishnan won the National Award for Best Choreography after Jani Master’s suspension.
The choreographer was arrested in Goa after being charged with rape. A lady who used to work as his assistant filed a complaint, alleging that the choreographer assaulted her on multiple occasions. As the victim was a minor at the time, he was charged under the POCSO Act.
Disclaimer: If you or anyone you know is suffering from any kind of sexual, physical, or emotional abuse, do not hesitate to seek help. There are several helplines available for the same; remember, you are not alone in the fight.
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