Madras High Court directs MS Dhoni to pay INR 10 lakh in defamation suit against ex-IPS officer

The Madras High Court has directed former India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni to pay INR 10 lakh towards the transcription and translation of material related to the defamation suit he filed against retired IPS officer G. Sampathkumar. Dhoni has sought INR 100 crore in damages, alleging that Sampathkumar wrongfully linked him to the 2013 Indian Premier League (IPL) betting scandal. Justice R.N. Manjula issued the directive while passing further interim orders on February 11.

In her order, the judge noted that, pursuant to an earlier directive dated October 28, 2025, the court’s official interpreter had undertaken the task of transcribing and translating the contents of certain CDs submitted in connection with the case. However, that order had been conditional upon payment of the requisite charges for the work.

The court observed that, according to the interpreter, the assignment was extensive and time-consuming. It would require at least one interpreter and a typist working for approximately three to four months to complete the transcription and translation. Given the full-time involvement required, along with additional expenses for preparing copies of the material, the total charges were fixed at INR 10 lakh.

Justice Manjula further remarked that, in a civil suit, it is ordinarily the responsibility of the plaintiff to undertake such work and file the necessary documents before the court. Since the appointment of the official interpreter was necessitated by specific circumstances outlined in the earlier order, it was incumbent upon the plaintiff to bear the associated costs.

The court directed the interpreter to complete the transcription and translation of the CDs before the third week of March 2026. It also ordered that the amount of INR 10 lakh be deposited by Dhoni into the Chief Justice’s Relief Fund of the Madras High Court on or before March 12, 2026. The matter has been listed for further hearing on March 12.

Speaking about Dhoni, the legendary cricketer was last seen in action against the Gujarat Titans (GT) during IPL 2025 and is currently preparing for IPL 2026, which is set to begin in the final week of March.