Telangana High Court grants conditional bail to Jani Master

The court imposed conditions including that Jani Master and his family members must not interfere with the personal life or professional activities of the victim, nor should they contact her in any manner.

By Legal Correspondent

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court has granted conditional bail to choreographer Shaik Jani Basha, popularly known as Jani Master, who faces serious allegations including rape and child sex abuse under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012. Jani Master was arrested about a month ago. The court imposed conditions including that Jani Master and his family members must not interfere with the personal life or professional activities of the victim, nor should they contact her in any manner.

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The case of the victim was that Jani Master forcibly assaulted her and threatened her career should she disclose the incidents. According to the victim, the harassment persisted across various locations, including film shoots and hotels, and involved attempts to force her into marriage through religious conversion. The counsel for the accused argued that the relationship between Jani Master and the victim was consensual, highlighting that the victim was of legal age when they met, as participants in the Dhee dance competition ranged from 18 to 24 years. They contended that the victim’s grievances stem from personal animosity due to her perceived underperformance, which allegedly affected her opportunities. However, Public Prosecutor,Vasudha Nagarajan, the counsel for the victim, countered these claims, asserting that the accused exploited the victim’s innocence and posed a continuing threat if released. Nagarajan emphasized the risk of evidence tampering and further harassment.

During the proceedings, Justice Juvvadi Sridevi noted a significant delay in the victim’s lodging of the complaint, suggesting that the reasons for this delay were inadequately explained. The court expressed opinion that while serious allegations were made, prima facie evidence indicated that the accused may not be solely responsible for the acts described, which will be determined at trial.

 

High Court grants stay on Jubilee Hills Housing Society

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court has granted a stay on the Jubilee Hills Cooperative Housing Society Limited, preventing the admission of new members and any agreements related to the proposed Jubilee Hills Phase-IV project at Manchirevula Village until further orders.

The petitioner, Jyothi Prasad Kosaraju, contended that the Society was violating its bye-laws by attempting to admit new members without adhering to a prior inquiry report, which stipulates that members without allotted plots should not exceed 10 percent of the total membership. It was argued that the Society was soliciting advances of Rs.5,00,000 from prospective members for a project outside its jurisdiction, while bypassing necessary procedures. Despite representations made to the Commissioner for Cooperation and Registrar of Cooperative Societies, no action had been taken, raising concerns among existing members awaiting plot allocations, the petitioner said. The Government Pleader for Cooperation acknowledged that the representations were under consideration but sought additional time for instructions. Justice T. Madhavi Devi highlighted the unaddressed allegations regarding the Society’s actions and expressed that the inaction might enable further illegal activities.