After over a decade of legal delays, the Madras High Court has ordered the commencement of the trial in the Rs 100-crore defamation suit filed by former Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni. The suit, filed in 2014, accuses several media houses, a journalist, and a retired IPS officer of falsely linking him to the 2013 Indian Premier League (IPL) betting scandal.
In a significant development, Dhoni has submitted an affidavit stating his readiness to appear for examination and cross-examination between October 20 and December 10 of this year. To facilitate this, Justice C.V. Karthikeyan has appointed an advocate commissioner to record Dhoni’s testimony. The court decided on this measure to avoid potential disruptions that could be caused by the cricketer’s presence at the court premises.
Dhoni filed the lawsuit against Zee Media Corporation, journalist Sudhir Chaudhary, retired IPS officer G. Sampath Kumar, and News Nation Network. His complaint alleges that the defendants repeatedly published and broadcasted false and defamatory reports suggesting his involvement in betting, match-fixing, and spot-fixing. The trial, which has been stalled for 11 years due to various applications and procedural challenges raised by the defendants, is now set to move forward. The court’s decision marks a crucial step in Dhoni’s long-standing effort to clear his name and seek damages for the allegations he claims are baseless.
