Jani Master Pocso Charges, National Film Award Suspended

Choreographer Jani Master’s National Film Award has been suspended following sexual harassment allegations. The award committee issued a statement regarding the decision.

Shaik Jani Basha, known professionally as Jani Master, had his National Film Award revoked due to a sexual harassment case filed by his assistant choreographer. Jani Master was arrested earlier this month in Goa under charges related to the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

A statement released by the National Film Awards Cell under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting announced that Jani Master’s award has been suspended. Additionally, his invitation to attend the 70th National Film Awards ceremony at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi has been revoked.

On October 4, Jani Master was granted temporary bail from October 6 to 10, with a condition to surrender to the court by 10:30 AM on October 10. This interim bail was provided to allow him to attend the National Film Awards ceremony on October 8, where he was scheduled to receive the prestigious Best Choreography award for his work in the Dhanush-starrer Thiruchitrambalam.

However, there has been no further update regarding his bail status.

Jani Master was arrested in Goa following a complaint filed by a 21-year-old woman from Madhya Pradesh, who accused him of sexual assault while she worked as his assistant choreographer. The woman claimed that she met him in 2017, and two years later, he offered her a position as his assistant choreographer, which she accepted. The alleged assault took place at a hotel in Mumbai during a show.

The woman also alleged that Jani Master threatened her with physical harm if she reported the incident and mentally harassed her during photoshoots and rehearsals.

Aakhir Tak Editor-in-Chief

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