Indian cricket team captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has moved the Madras high court seeking Rs 100 crore as damag... Read More

CHENNAI: Crying foul and alleging motivated attack on his reputation by private television network Zee , cricketer and Team India captain M S Dhoni slapped a Rs 100 crore defamation suit on the channel.

On Tuesday, Madras high court admitted his application, and restrained the Zee news network from telecasting any news/discussion/debate concerning Dhoni's alleged role in IPL match fixing and betting scam.

Justice T Mathivanan, holding that Dhoni's apprehensions and allegations prima facie had a substance, restrained the news network from broadcasting Dhoni-related matters for a period of two weeks. "I am of the view that there is a prima facie case, and balance of convenience is also in favour of the Dhoni.

Interim injunction for a period of two weeks," said Justice Tamilvanan in his brief interim order on Tuesday.

Dhoni said that on July 30, 2013, the Supreme Court had formed a three-member committee under Justice (retd) Mukul Mudgal to probe allegations of betting and spot fixing in IPL matches. It filed a report dated February 9, 2014 to the apex court on February 10, 2014. The apex court has since adjourned the matter twice.

Immediately after the submission of the report, the news channel came up with a series of news items alleging that Dhoni was into betting and fixing scandal. The channel resorted to "unique tactics" to continue the tirade, he said adding that they organised news reports, debate shows and uploaded stories on the internet.

"On February 28, the channel suddenly claimed that it had conducted a sting operation," the cricketer said, adding that relying on an unsigned report sent by a suspended superintendent of police-cadre officer on the match fixing issue, and statement of a suspected bookie Kitty, the channel's reporters repeatedly claimed without any basis that Dhoni too was involved in match fixing.

"The channel went to the extent of saying that the entire IPL is a kind of 'Casino Cricket', where everyone from the BCCI president, players, captain, team owners and other officials make money and every match is pre-determined as to which team is going to win," Dhoni said.

Noting that he was aggrieved by the highly defamatory, scandalous and malicious reports and statements being made by the news channel, Dhoni wanted the court to restrain the channel or its associates or sister concerns from publishing or broadcasting any programme or debates or news item pertaining to Dhoni in the matter.

For the past few days the channel has been carrying a disclaimer that they do not own up to the veracity of what is said in the 'sting operation' and other news reports, Dhoni said. "It is evident that the channel is trying to belatedly put up a fig leaf of a defence to pre-empt legal action while continuing to air offending material," he added.