Choreographer Jani Master’s National Award suspended after POCSO case
The government’s decision came a day after the artist was granted an interim bail to attend the award ceremony in New Delhi.
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The Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has suspended the National Film Award being given to Shaik Jani Basha, popularly known as Jani Master, citing a sexual assault case pending against him under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, The Hindu reported on Sunday.
The decision by the ministry’s National Film Awards Cell came on Friday, a day after he was granted a four-day interim bail to attend the National Award ceremony in New Delhi on October 8.
Basha was to be honoured with the best choreography award for his work on the song Megham Karukkatha in the 2022 Tamil film Thiruchitrambalam.
“In view of the seriousness of the allegation and the matter being subjudice, the competent authority has decided to suspend” the award being given to Basha “until further orders”, read the memo issued by cell’s Deputy Director Indrani Bose.
The invitation for the event in New Delhi on Tuesday had been extended to Basha before the allegations against him came to light and therefore it had been withdrawn, the letter added.
Jani was arrested in Goa on September 19 after a 21-year-old female colleague accused him of sexual assault, claiming that she was a minor when the alleged abuse began. He was held in the Chanchalguda Central Prison in Hyderabad until he got a...
