The Madras High Court sentenced Sampath Kumar, a retired police officer, to a 15-day jail term. This action was taken in response to remarks he made against the judiciary in written submissions filed during a defamation suit brought forth by M.S. Dhoni.
On Monday, the Supreme Court intervened and suspended a decision by the Madras High Court that had sentenced retired Indian Police Services (IPS) officer Sampath Kumar to fifteen days in jail. This ruling was part of a contempt of court case initiated by cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni [G Sampath Kumar vs Mahendra Singh Dhoni].
Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan, constituting a bench, have issued a notice in response to Kumar’s petition challenging the decision of the High Court. Additionally, they have taken note of his application seeking interim relief.
In December 2023, the Madras High Court handed down a fifteen-day imprisonment sentence to Kumar in response to a contempt of court petition filed by Dhoni. The contempt case arose from remarks made by Kumar against the judiciary in written submissions submitted by the retired police officer in reply to a defamation suit brought by Dhoni.
The matter stems from a ₹100-crore defamation case filed by Dhoni against several parties, including Kumar.
Before the Madras High Court, the ex-captain of the Indian Men’s Cricket Team initiated a defamation suit against Zee Media, Kumar, and others. The lawsuit was based on purportedly malicious statements and news reports alleging Dhoni’s involvement in betting and match-fixing of Indian Premier League (IPL) matches in 2013.
Dhoni aimed to prevent the defendants, including Kumar, the initial investigator of the IPL betting scam, from making or publishing defamatory statements concerning the cricketer’s involvement in the matter.
