HC directs Sampath Kumar IPS to appear in case filed by Dhoni

CHENNAI: A division bench of Madras High Courtordered the G Sampath Kumar IPS on December 9 to appear before the court in a petition moved by former Indian Cricket team captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni for allegedly scandalising the Supreme Court and the High Court while filing a written statement in a defamation petition filed by Mahendra Singh Dhoni for naming him in the IPL match-fixing scam.

The cricketer sought direction to punish the IPS officer for filing a scandalous statement. Even as the bench admitted Dhoni’s contempt petition on November 4, it was not in a position to hear it then due to the paucity of time.

When the matter was listed before the judges on Friday, Dhoni’s counsel submitted that his client filed a suit before the HC in 2014 and got an order restraining several people including the IPS officer from making defamatory comments against the cricketer in connection with alleged charges of betting, match-fixing, and spot-fixing of cricket matches.

“The respondent herein filed a suit in 2021 seeking permission to file an additional written statement. Upon perusing the aforesaid additional written statement filed by the respondent officer, I found that there are scandalous and contumacious statements made by G Sampath Kumar, IPS, in the aforementioned additional written statement,” Dhoni said in his affidavit.

The counsel for the contempt petitioner also informed the bench that the contempt case has been filed after receiving the consent of the TN Advocate General.

“Apart from the above scandalous and contumacious statements made against the Supreme Court, the IPS officer also maligned, disrespected, the Madras HC,” the petitioner noted.