Jani had sought bail to attend the National Awards ceremony, in which he won the National Award for Best Choreography for the song “Megham Karukkatha” from the 2022 Tamil film 'Thiruchitrambalam'.
Published Oct 03, 2024 | 3:37 PM ⚊ Updated Oct 03, 2024 | 3:37 PM
Choreographer Jani Master case: victim assaulted and intimidated since 2019. (X)
Choreographer Jani Shaik Basha, popularly known as Jani Master has been granted interim bail in the sexual assault case, by the local court in Hyderabad, to attend the National Awards ceremony in Delhi.
Jani was arrested by the Cyberabad police from Goa, on 19 September in a POCSO and rape case, after a junior colleague of his filed a complaint against him on 15 September.
He was booked under clause (2) and (n) of section 376 (rape), criminal intimidation (506) and voluntarily causing hurt (323) of the IPC. However, after it was found out that the victim was a minor at the time of the assault, the police added section 5 (l) r/w 6 of the POCSO act
After the arrest, Jani was produced in the local court, and sent to custody in Chanchalguda jail. His remand was till 3 October.
According to reports, the court on Thursday, 3 October, granted Jani the interim bail from 6 to 10 October. He has to surrender before the court on 10 October, at 10 am.
Jani was granted bail on the condition that he will not apply for another interim bail while out, and also not speak to the media. He was also asked to submit two sureties of ₹2 lakh each.
He had sought bail to attend the National Awards ceremony, in which he won the National Award for Best Choreography for the song “Megham Karukkatha” from the 2022 Tamil film Thiruchitrambalam.
The case gained momentum on 15 September when a 21-year-old woman, who worked as Jani’s assistant choreographer, filed a complaint against him. She accused him of sexually, physically, and mentally assaulting her for several years, starting in 2019.
According to the FIR, the survivor first met Jani Master in 2017 during a dance reality show where he was a judge. Two years later, she was offered a job as his assistant, and the abuse allegedly began soon after.
The complainant alleged instances of sexual assault, both verbal and physical coercion. She also accused the popular choreographer of threatening her career prospects in the industry if she refused his advances.
The case took a critical turn when it was revealed that the survivor was a minor when the abuse began. This led to the inclusion of sections of the POCSO Act (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act) in the charges against Jani.
(Edited by Sumavarsha Kandula)
