Choreographer Jani Master gets bail in POCSO case

The popular Telugu choreographer was arrested over accusations of assaulting, raping and threatening his minor colleague since 2019.

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court, on Thursday, October 24, granted interim bail to Tollywood choreographer Sheikh Janibasha alias Jani Master, who is under trial for sexually assaulting a minor colleague, under the charges of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

On September 19, the Cyberabad police arrested the choreographer in Goa following the complaint from a 21-year-old female choreographer. She accused him of repeatedly assaulting and raping her since 2019, when she was a minor working under his supervision.

The High Court granted him interim bail under strict conditions, including he should not interfere in the victim’s life and try to influence the trial.

The court added that the accused Jani Master should remain available to the court and the investigators for questioning whenever required.

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The charges against him include raping and assaulting a minor, and criminal intimidation for threatening the victim of putting her life in danger and damaging her career if she goes public against him.

Following his arrest under the POCSO Act, the information and broadcasting ministry suspended his national award for best choreography for the song Megham Karukkat from the Dhanush starrer Thiruchitrambalam.

Before the suspension of his award, the Telangana High Court had granted him an interim bail from October 6 to 9 to attend the award ceremony, which was cancelled following the suspension of the award, and he remained in jail.