Cricketer M S Dhoni has approached the Madras High Court to initiate contempt proceedings and summon IPS officer G Sampath Kumar for his purported statements against the Supreme Court and certain senior counsels in the context of match-fixing. Although the case was listed, it was not heard today.
In 2014, Dhoni filed a civil suit aiming to permanently restrain Sampath Kumar, who was the Inspector General of Police at that time, from making any statements linking him to match-fixing and spot-fixing of matches. Dhoni requested the court to direct Sampath Kumar to pay Rs 100 crore in damages.
Through an interim order issued on March 18, 2014, the court prohibited Sampath Kumar from making any statements against Dhoni. Despite this order, Sampath Kumar allegedly submitted an affidavit before the Supreme Court containing derogatory remarks against the judiciary and senior counsel representing the State in the cases against him.
Upon bringing this matter to the attention of the Madras High Court in December 2021, it was recorded. Following the Advocate-General R Shanmugasundaram’s consent on July 18 of the current year to file the contempt application, Dhoni lodged the present contempt application on October 11, seeking to penalize Sampath Kumar for his purported actions of making remarks against the judiciary in violation of the court’s interim order from 2014.