Madras High Court Sentences IPS Officer Sampath Kumar To 15 Days Imprisonment In Contempt Plea By MS Dhoni, Suspends It To Allow Appeal

The bench of Justice SS Sundar and Justice Sunder Mohan however suspended the sentence for 30 days to allow Sampath Kumar to file an appeal.

Dhoni contended that the IPS officer made disparaging and derogatory remarks against the Supreme Court and the Madras High Court which is capable of shaking the faith of the common man in the judicial system and thus constitutes criminal contempt.

Sampath Kumar had allegedly stated that the Supreme Court chose to keep certain portions of the Report of Justice Mudgal Committee (formed to independently enquire into the match-fixing in 2013 IPL) in a sealed cover and did not provide the same to the Special Investigation Team.

Dhoni said that Sampath imputed that the Supreme Court "has a motive" in not providing the sealed cover.

It is further alleged that Sampath disrespected and scandalized the Madras High Court, and made accusations against the office of Advocate General and designated Senior Counsels of the Madras High Court.

These statements were made by Sampath in an additional affidavit which was filed in a Civil Suit filed by Dhoni against the officer and Zee Media Corporation over match-fixing allegations against him.

Though Zee Media had challenged the interrogatories raised by Dhoni in the defamation suit, the challenge and a subsequent appeal were rejected by the High Court. The High Court had also observed that MS Dhoni was a cricketer of world repute and that news channels had to be cautious while telecasting news against such persons.

Citation: 2023 LiveLaw (Mad) 392

Case Title: Mahendra Singh Dhoni v. G Sampath Kumar

Case No: Contempt Petition 2361 of 2022