Hyderabad: The Union Information and Broadcasting ministry on Friday, October 4, suspended choreographer Jani Master’s national award over allegations of sexual assault.
The choreographer, whose real name is Shaik Jani Basha, had won the National Award for Best Choreography for the song Megham Karukkat from Thiruchitrambalam. The award was shared with the song’s other choreographer Sathish Krishnan. However, on Friday, the National Film Awards Cell of the I&B Ministry issued a statement that the award was suspended.
In a letter, deputy director of the cell said, “Inview 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.”
The authority has now withdrawn the invitation to Jani for attending the national awards which will be held on October 8.
Allegations against Jani Master
Jani has been accused of sexually assaulting a minor dancer in 2019. Based on the complaint, the choreographer was booked under the POCSO Act of 2012. Cyberabad police had arrested him in Goa on September 19 and a court in Hyderabad remanded him to judicial custody for two weeks. On September 25, the court sent him to police custody for four days.
According to police, the victim alleged that Jani Master sexually assaulted her in 2020 during a work trip to Mumbai and continued sexual harassment and threatened not to disclose to anyone.
The Raidurgam police of Cyberabad on September 15 booked a zero First Information Report (FIR). Subsequently, the case was re-registered at Narsingi police station. Jani was booked for rape, criminal intimidation and assault under sections 376 (2) (n), 506 and 323 of the Indian Penal Code.
The victim, now 21, alleged that the choreographer sexually assaulted her on multiple occasions in different cities, including Chennai, Mumbai, and Hyderabad. The complainant told police that she came in contact with the choreographer in 2017 and became an assistant to him in 2019.
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