Jani Master Case: Court grants conditional bail to rape-accused choreographer to receive his National Award
In the latest development to the Jani Master case, the court has granted the choreographer conditional bail to receive his National Award for Megham Karukkatha’s song.
Trigger Warning: This article contains information on sexual assault which might be triggering for some readers.
Rape-accused choreographer Jani Master has been granted conditional interim bail by the Ranga Reddy District Court on Thursday (October 3). The Pushpa choreographer’s bail plea has been sanctioned from October 6 to October 10, according to a report in the Deccan Chronicle. The decision to grant bail was made considering the significance of his presence at the National Award ceremony.
The court imposed conditions on Jani Master, including that he must appear before the court on October 10 at 10 a.m., provide two sureties of ₹2 lakh each, and refrain from giving media interviews or submitting any new interim bail petitions during this period.
For the unversed, the controversial choreographer has received national recognition for his work in the song Megham Karukkatha from Dhanush and Nithya Menen’s starrer Thiruchitrambalam. The National Awards were announced in August and the ceremony is scheduled to take place in Delhi later this week.
Meanwhile, Jani Master’s wife Ayesha had filed a complaint with the Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce, dismissing all accusations against her husband. In her complaint, she accused the female choreographer, who had claimed Jani Master sexually assaulted her on multiple occasions over the years, of targeting rich men under the pretext of love.
According to the latest report in Chitra Jyothy, the TFCC had called Jani Master’s wife for more details regarding the case and may seek action against the woman complainant. Additionally, the report claims that Ayesha has provided evidence against the complainant to the association.
It is pertinent to mention that Jani Master was arrested in Goa and later remanded to judicial custody for 14 days. Further investigation revealed that he had allegedly assaulted his female colleague when she was a minor, leading to charges under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Jani Master is also charged under sections 376 (rape), 506 (criminal intimidation), and 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
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.