MS Dhoni, a legendary cricketer, had filed a defamation lawsuit against Zee Media for their reports tying him to gambling in the 2013 Indian Premier League. The former captain of India eventually brought the case before the Madras High Court, where judges recently rejected an appeal from Zee Media in an effort to put the subject to rest.
The division bench of Justices R. Mahadevan and Mohammed Shaffiq explained that the media outlet should have been informed of the situation before making the allegations against a well-known cricketer who had played for the national team for more than ten years. The media outlet was eventually questioned by the bench, which also reprimanded them for failing to adequately investigate the charges before informing the public.
“The first respondent is a cricketer of renown and a dedicated individual who, with honesty and devotion, represented our nation at the greatest levels of international cricket. The News Channel, like the appellant in this case, must use caution while airing news broadcasts about a claim made against such a renowned personality. Without a shred of doubt, the truth regarding the charges must be fully established, noted Justices R. Mahadevan and Mohammed Shaffiq.
Notably, Dhoni’s attorney said that the media outlet had made unfounded claims against the cricketer’s reputation. Due to gambling-related actions, Dhoni’s team, the Chennai Super Kings, was suspended for two years; nonetheless, their captain was cleared of all charges. Despite this, the media outlet remained vague about the details and cast doubt on the cricketer’s religious beliefs. Dhoni filed a slander lawsuit against the group as a result.
The stumper-batter has also requested damages of at least Rs. 100 crore, according to LiveLaw. In addition, he filed a lawsuit against the news organization to prevent them and their employees from publishing or republishing anything directly or indirectly related to him in connection with the claimed Sampath Kumar IPS report.
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