The National Film Award to rape-accused film dance choreographer Shaik Jani Basha — popularly known as Jani Master — has been suspended. A letter from the Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry was sent to the accused on October 4, notifying him of the suspension and revoking his invitation to the awards ceremony to be held on October 8.
“In view of 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 letter says.
Jani won the national award earlier this year for choreographing the song ‘Megham Karukatha’ from the Tamil film Thiruchitrambalam, starring actors Dhanush, Nithya Menen, and Raashii Khanna among others.
On September 19, he was arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a minor who was working as his assistant in 2019. The charges include sections 376 (2) (punishment for sexual assault), 506 (criminal intimidation), and 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt) of the Indian Penal Code, along with clauses under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
In its letter, the I&B clarifies that the invitations sent to the accused from the National Film Awards Cell on August 21 and September 12, to attend the National Film Award function for the year 2022, had been extended “before the allegations of crime under POCSO Act came to light.”