According to reports, Mihir Diwakar and his wife Soumya Das, former associates of MS Dhoni, have initiated a defamation lawsuit in the Delhi High Court against the ex-Indian captain. This action follows the filing of a criminal case by the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain against Diwakar and Soumya, accusing them of defrauding him of over ₹15 crore.
According to a Times of India report, Mihir and Soumya’s petition aims for a permanent injunction and compensation against Dhoni, as well as various social media platforms and media outlets, to prevent them from making and spreading statements deemed defamatory.
The report stated that the plaintiffs sought the intervention of the High Court to safeguard their reputation and claim compensation. According to the petition, the ex-Indian captain’s statements and accusations had adversely affected their image. According to the report, the defamation case is set for a hearing on January 18.
STORY | Defamation suit filed against Dhoni by former business partners; HC to hear on Jan 18
READ | https://t.co/siaQbsqsGK
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What is the essence of the controversy involving MS Dhoni?
At the beginning of this month, media sources reported that Dhoni had lodged a criminal case against his ex-business associates, Mihir and Soumya. According to an India Today report, Dhoni had agreed with Mihir of Aarka Sports and Management Limited in 2017 to set up cricket academies worldwide. Dhoni’s complaint claimed that Diwakar failed to adhere to the terms of the agreement.
According to the complaint, Aarka Sports failed to fulfil the requirement of paying a franchise fee and sharing profits, leading Dhoni to revoke its authority letter on August 15, 2021. Mihir, however, countered these accusations on his social media, dismissing them as unfounded. He asserted that he did not owe Dhoni any money, as suggested in the complaint.
“I clarify that there is no dues/ outstanding of MSD with me rather MSD has to pay certain amounts which has been collected from academies directly by #msdhoni. By dint of my hard work I established, materialized and expanded the work which has pinched him and MSD being a big name is trying to throttle me, my business and my social integrity,” Mihir wrote on X.
“This story is imaginary, scandalous and needs to be withdrawn immediately. The real reason behind all this false accusations against me is because #MSDhoni and his team of directors have committed serious mismanagement, deceitful activities and criminal conspiracy against founder of a public limited company,” he added.
A prominent figure in Indian cricket, Dhoni guided CSK to a fifth IPL title in the 2023 season, matching a record. He announced his retirement from international cricket in 2020.
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