Telugu choreographer Jani Master was today granted bail by the Telangana High Court in a sexual harassment case. Master - who has worked on dance sequences in big-ticket films like 'Baahubali' and 'Pushpa: The Rise' - was arrested last month after a 21-year-old employee accused him of sexual harassment over several years, including when she was a minor.
The young woman said she first met Jani Master - whose real name is Shaik Jani Basha - at an event in 2017. Two years later he offered her a job as an assistant choreographer, which she accepted.
The alleged sexual assaults took place subsequently, including once at a hotel Master and she, as well as two other male dancers, were staying in during a show in Mumbai.
The woman also accused Master of threatening her with physical violence if she filed a complaint, and that he mentally harassed her during photoshoots and rehearsals.
Master reportedly even forced her to convert and 'marry' him, despite being married; on one occasion, she has said, both Master and his wife entered her room and slapped her.
He was arrested on September 19 amid a MeToo row in Tollywood and Mollywood.
Earlier this month, the National Film Awards Cell of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting suspended the National Film Award to be presented to Master, citing allegations of sexual assault.
He would have been felicitated at the ceremony for his work on the song "Megham Karukkatha" in 2022's Tamil movie "Thiruchitrambalam".
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