In a recent development, the Delhi High Court directed the court registry and plaintiffs Mihir Diwakar and wife Soumya Das to inform Chennai Super Kings (CSK) skipper and former Indian cricket champion Mahendra Singh Dhoni about the defamation suit filed against him earlier this week. The suit revolves around alleged false accusations against Diwakar and Das.
Originally, Dhoni was expected to appear for the initial hearing before Justice Pratibha M. Singh in the High Court. However, the defendant, Dhoni, or any of his representatives failed to appear during the hearing. Consequently, an intimation will be sent to Dhoni before the next hearing scheduled for January 29.
Dhoni and Diwakar had previously entered into a partnership to establish cricket academies under the names “MS Dhoni Sports Complex,” “MS Dhoni Cricket Academy,” or “MS Dhoni Sports Academy” for Aarka Sports Management as per a legal contract signed in 2017.
ALSO READ: Aakash Chopra Criticizes Rohit Sharma’s Unusual Super Over Return Amidst Umpiring Controversy
Subsequently, Dhoni filed a criminal conspiracy case against Diwakar, alleging that he continued to operate under the mentioned names even after the authorization to use them was revoked.
The Delhi High Court on January 18 asked its registry to inform former Team India cricket captain #MSDhoni about filing of a defamation suit against him by his two former business partners.https://t.co/qzPaDR4awq
— The Hindu (@the_hindu) January 18, 2024
According to Bar and Bench, Dhoni’s lawyers held a press conference on January 6, making allegations against Diwakar and Das for acts including forgery, cheating, using forged documents as genuine, and criminal conspiracy under various sections of the Indian Penal Code.
MS Dhoni’s law firms will also be sent an intimation to represent him in the defamation suit on the scheduled hearing date. Diwakar’s lawyers are seeking to remove allegedly false accusations propagated through various social publishing outlets, including Google, Meta, YouTube, and X, claiming that they are damaging his reputation.
ALSO READ: Rohit Sharma Lavishes Praise on Rinku Singh’s Calmness and Intent After Sensational Partnership
ANI (Asian News International), one of the defendants in the case, was present during the hearing and argued that they merely published details related to the pending criminal case against the plaintiff. ANI challenged the maintainability of the suit, asserting they had no intention to tarnish the image or reputation of the plaintiffs. Justice Pratibha M. Singh has adjourned the hearing until January 29 after due considerations.
