The Madras High Court on Monday reserved its verdict on a crucial appeal filed by retired IPS officer G Sampath Kumar, who sought to dismiss the ₹100 crore defamation suit filed by former Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni. The hearing, which drew attention for its mix of celebrity and accountability, was conducted before a division bench comprising Justice S.M. Subramaniam and Justice M. Jothiraman.
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Background
The dispute dates back to 2014, when Dhoni filed a defamation suit against Kumar, Zee Media Corporation, Sudhir Chaudhary, and News Nation Network Pvt Ltd. The former skipper alleged that false and damaging statements were made linking him to the 2013 IPL betting scandal - an accusation he has consistently denied.
Dhoni’s complaint sought damages amounting to ₹100 crore, claiming that such reports had tarnished his “hard-earned reputation built over years of cricketing integrity.”
Kumar, a retired IPS officer once attached to the Tamil Nadu CB-CID, argued that he was only doing his duty as part of an internal probe. His counsel, R.C. Paul Kanagaraj, assisted by T. Karthikeyan and R. Ramesh, submitted that Kumar had merely acted in good faith and had already been cleared in departmental proceedings.
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“The officer acted on available information and never intended to defame anyone,” Kanagaraj told the bench, adding that the allegations against his client were “motivated and exaggerated.”
Court’s Observations
The bench heard lengthy submissions from both sides. Senior Advocate P.R. Raman, appearing for Dhoni, opposed the appeal, arguing that Kumar’s plea to reject the suit was nothing but an attempt to stall the trial. He reminded the bench that a single judge had already dismissed Kumar’s application in December 2021, observing that it was filed at the last moment “only to delay the proceedings.”
The judges appeared keen on understanding whether the officer’s alleged statements could be treated as part of his official duty or personal opinion. Justice Subramaniam reportedly remarked, “When a person in authority makes a statement implicating another without concrete evidence, it carries weight. The law must ensure balance between freedom of duty and accountability.”
Kumar’s counsel countered that the single judge’s earlier dismissal overlooked key facts, insisting that the officer’s conduct had already undergone internal scrutiny and was found to be proper.
The bench noted that the trial in Dhoni’s defamation suit had already been ordered to proceed and that an Advocate Commissioner was appointed in August this year to record Dhoni’s evidence. Still, the appeal raised a question of whether the suit itself was maintainable against a retired public servant acting in official capacity.
Decision
After nearly two hours of back-and-forth arguments, the bench reserved its verdict, saying the order would be delivered soon. The courtroom saw a quiet but tense conclusion as both legal teams wrapped up their submissions.
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For now, the long-running battle between one of India’s most admired sports icons and a former senior police officer remains poised on a judicial edge. Whether the defamation trial will proceed or be cut short depends on the outcome of this reserved order - a decision expected to set an important precedent for cases involving public officials and high-profile personalities.
Case: G Sampath Kumar v. Mahendra Singh Dhoni & Others
Case Number: OSA 326 of 2025
Petitioner/Appellant: Retired IPS Officer G Sampath Kumar
Respondent: Cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni & Others (Zee Media Corp, Sudhir Chaudhary, News Nation Network Pvt Ltd)
