Delhi High Court to Hear Suit Against MS Dhoni Over Alleged Defamatory Statements
In a legal development set to unfold on January 29, the Delhi High Court is scheduled to consider a lawsuit filed by former business partners of Indian cricketer MS Dhoni. Mihir Diwakar and his wife Soumya Das have sought a restraining order against Dhoni, urging the court to prevent him from making defamatory allegations. The couple claims Dhoni accused them of duping him of ₹15 crore by allegedly breaching a contract related to the establishment of cricket academies. The dispute originates from an agreement made in 2017 between Dhoni and Aarka Sports Management, a company owned by Diwakar and Das.
According to the agreement, Dhoni was to receive the full franchise fee, and profits were to be shared on a 70:30 basis between the cricketer and his ex-partners. However, Dhoni alleges that he revoked the agreement in August 2021. Despite this, he asserts that his former partners continued establishing academies without informing him and failed to make the agreed-upon payments. In response to Dhoni’s criminal case against them, Diwakar and Das contend that the allegations lack basis and evidence, characterizing them as an attempt to tarnish and malign their reputation. As part of their legal action, the duo has also requested the court to direct major online platforms, including X (formerly known as Twitter), Google, YouTube, Facebook, and other news outlets, to take down any defamatory posts and articles related to the case.
The legal saga takes a twist as Diwakar claims that Dhoni’s lawyer, Dayanand Sharma, conducted a press conference on January 6, 2024, leveling further allegations against the couple. Diwakar argues that these statements, widely reported in the media, have unfairly tarnished their image. Additionally, he asserts that the revocation of the letter of authorization in August 2021 was done by an unknown third party with no legitimate authority to make such a decision. The upcoming court hearing is expected to shed light on the intricacies of this contentious legal battle.
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