Kumar, who is a defendant in Dhoni’s 2014 civil suit, has sought several safeguards for the recording of the cricketer’s evidence
Listen to This Article
The Madras High Court on Tuesday directed its Registry to number three applications filed by retired Indian Police Service (IPS) officer G. Sampath Kumar concerning the recording of cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s evidence in a Rs 100 crore defamation suit arising from the 2013 IPL betting scandal.
Justice K. Govindarajan Thilakavadi issued the direction after the applications were placed before her to determine their maintainability. Kumar’s counsel argued that the applications were maintainable in view of a Supreme Court order in a similar case. After examining the order, the judge agreed that the applications could be filed.
Kumar seeks judicial officer to monitor recording
Kumar, who is a defendant in Dhoni’s 2014 civil suit, has sought several safeguards for the recording of the cricketer’s evidence.
In one application, he has asked the court to appoint a judicial officer to monitor the recording of Dhoni’s evidence by a court-appointed advocate commissioner. In another, he has sought video recording of the entire proceedings.
Kumar has also sought unedited and certified copies of the video recording for himself and the judicial officer appointed by the court.
ALSO READ: Iran women’s kabaddi team turns to India as war disrupts Asiad preparations
Seeks recording at court or government premises
The retired IPS officer has further requested that Dhoni’s evidence be recorded on court premises or in a government building.
“Just because he is a cricketer, the evidence should not be recorded in a five-star hotel or some private bungalow,” Kumar’s counsel submitted before the court.
Justice Thilakavadi made it clear that Dhoni would have an opportunity to file his counter-affidavit once the applications are numbered.
Dhoni’s Rs 100 crore defamation suit
Dhoni filed the Rs 100 crore defamation suit in 2014 against Kumar and several others after his name was allegedly dragged into the controversy surrounding the 2013 IPL betting scandal.
The suit is currently at the evidence stage. On August 11, 2025, Justice C.V. Karthikeyan ordered the commencement of the trial and appointed advocate G. Jayasri as a court-appointed commissioner to record Dhoni’s evidence.
Kumar challenged that order, but a Division Bench comprising Justices S.M. Subramaniam and Mohammed Shaffiq dismissed his appeal on November 4, 2025.
The Division Bench observed that insisting on Dhoni appearing before the Master’s Court inside the High Court campus to give evidence would require elaborate security arrangements. It consequently found no fault with the single judge’s decision to have an advocate commissioner record his evidence elsewhere.
Topics :MS DhoniIndian Premier LeagueMadras HC
Don’t miss the most important news and views of the day. Get them on our Telegram channel
First Published: Sep 01 2026 | 4:53 PMIST
Source: www.business-standard.com
