Dhoni sues Zee network for defamation

MS Dhoni has sued Zee media corp, IPS Sampath Kumar and News Nation for defamation. He has approached the Madras High court for compensation of Rs 100 crore.

Dhoni, in his suit, submitted that the defendants Zee Media Corporation Limited, Zee News Editor and Business Head Sudhir Chaudary, IPS officer Sampath Kumar (who initially probed the IPL betting scam) and News Nation network private limited, had been carrying highly defamatory, scandalous and libellous false reports and statements since February 11, 2014.

An interim order has been given by the court preventing the Zee group from telecasting interviews or news related to Dhoni and the fixing scandal. The order, which is effective for two weeks, was passed by Justice S Tamilvanan.

"I am of the view that there is a prima facie case and the balance of convenience is also in favour of the plaintiff. Hence interim injection granted for a period of two weeks," the judge said in his order after perusing Dhoni's affidavit.

Zee TV, meanwhile, have rebutted the allegations in the defamation civil suit filed by Dhoni. The news channel maintained that it has not telecast or shown any footage or dialogue to malign the image of Dhoni. The channel clarified that it had telecast the story that was based on Vindu Dara Singh and IPS officer Sampat Kumar's statements during the sting operation which was telecast on February 24 and 28, 2014 respectively by Zee Media Corporation.

"Zee Media Corporation Limited as a responsible news channel has ideated the story based on the said sting and also on the report filed by Justice Mudgal to the Honorable Supreme Court of India which was widely reported by various media organisations including print media," the channel said in a statement.

"The news channel has done the sting operations based on the facts which were in the public domain as series of stories were already filed/published by various media organisations from February 10 to 1, 2014.

"To further clarify the said issue, Zee Media Corporation Limited has already moved an intervention application along with the evidence in its possession before the Honorable Supreme Court of India in the pending SLP filed by Cricket Association of Bihar," it added.