The Madras High Court on Tuesday barred Zee Media Corporation Ltd and News Nation Network from publishing or telecasting any news content on Indian cricket team skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni connecting to acts of betting, spot fixing, and match-fixing of cricket matches or in any manner demeaning his existence.
Justice S. Tamilvanan passed the interim order restraining the news networks for a period of two weeks on his application in the civil suit.
Indian cricket team captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has moved the Madras high court on Tuesday seeking Rs 100 crore as damages from the Zee television network. Dhoni also won an interim order from the court, restraining the Zee group from telecasting interviews or news related to certain match-fixing allegations against him.
This entire ruckus has taken a horrendous toll on his hard-earned reputation. He has denied his involvement in match fixing or any unscrupulous activity.
Dhoni said, “Since February 11, 2014, Zee Media Corporation Limited (Zee News Channel) and Sudhir Chaudhary, editor and business head of the channel in collusion with G.Sampath Kumar (suspended police officer) have been telecasting and broadcasting and hosting false news reports against me.”
Dhoni also said similarly News Nation Network Private Limited also joined the ranting against him and went to the extent of stating that the Tamil Nadu Police summoned him, which was utterly false.
He added that those actions were intentioned to project him as an object of hate and ridicule to the public. The Indian Premier League cricket team Chennai Super Kings fans seemed to have a negative influence by these malicious reports.
The suit said, “The reports that were broadcasted by the news networks revolved around IPL team Chennai Super Kings of which Dhoni is the captain and the alleged involvement of him in fixing devastated his reputation and image in the eyes of millions of fans all over the world.”
The sole agenda of the defendants was somehow to defame and destroy the reputation of Dhoni in the eyes of the millions of his fans and cricket lovers all over the world. Dhoni has filed the suit because of the violation of his personal and fundamental rights by the telecast of this malicious news.
Dhoni also said even though no amount of money can compensate him for the loss of his image and reputation amongst his followers and cricket lovers all over the world, he was limiting the figure of damages tentatively to a sum of Rs.100 crore.
