M.S. Dhoni will give his side of the story in the defamation case. This comes after the Madras High Court ordered a formal trial in the Rs. 100 crore defamation case. Dhoni, the former captain of the Indian national cricket team, had filed the case against two TV channels and a journalist. He claims they damaged his reputation by linking him to the 2013 Indian Premier League (IPL) betting scandal.
Justice C.V. Karthikeyan has appointed an Advocate Commissioner to record Dhoni’s statement. This person will be in charge of recording Dhoni’s testimony. The court recognizes Dhoni’s celebrity status and the disruption his personal appearance could cause. So Dhoni won’t have to be physically present during the testimony.
According to the petition, Dhoni is available to record his statement between October 20 and December 10, provided everyone is comfortable with the timing.
The judge said the Advocate Commissioner will be chosen from the list provided by the High Court. Also, the court will fix a date to continue the hearing after Dhoni’s statement is recorded.
P.S. Raman, the senior lawyer representing Dhoni, submitted an affidavit: This is to avoid any unnecessary delay in the case and to ensure a fair, just and quick decision. I will fully cooperate with the Advocate Commissioner and follow all the instructions of this court regarding the trial and recording of evidence.
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Dhoni had filed the case against Zee Media Corporation, journalist Sudhir Chaudhary, retired police officer G. Sampath Kumar and News Nation Network. He claimed they had wrongly associated him with the betting scandal. The trial has been delayed as the parties involved have filed multiple applications, each seeking different reliefs from the court.
The 2013 IPL spot-fixing and betting scandal was a low point in the history of the T20 league. Three cricketers were found guilty of spot-fixing and two teams, Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals, were suspended for two years as their top officials were involved in betting.
Dhoni retired from international cricket in August 2020 but continues to play for Chennai Super Kings in the IPL.In December 2023, a High Court bench had held G. Sampath Kumar in contempt and sentenced him to 15 days in jail. The Supreme Court stayed the sentence in 2024. Dhoni had filed the contempt petition against the former police officer for disrespecting the High Court and the Supreme Court.
