Madras High Court Orders Trial in Dhoni’s ₹100-Crore Defamation Suit

The Madras High Court has ordered a trial in MS Dhoni’s 2014 defamation suit over alleged links to the 2013 IPL betting scandal.

Justice CV Karthikeyan appointed an Advocate Commissioner to record Dhoni’s evidence between October 20 and December 10, citing possible chaos if he appeared in court.

Dhoni seeks ₹100 crore damages from Zee Media, editor Sudhir Chaudhary, IPS officer G Sampath Kumar, and News Nation. The court had earlier framed nine issues, including malice, proof of allegations, and press freedom.

In 2023, Sampath Kumar was sentenced to 15 days for contempt over derogatory remarks, with the sentence suspended.

[Mahendra Singh Dhoni v Zee Media Corporation Limited]