Delhi High Court Directs Notification to M.S. Dhoni on Defamation Suit by Former Business Partners

The Delhi High Court on Thursday (January 18) took a significant step in the legal battle between former Team India captain M.S. Dhoni and his ex-business partners, Mihir Diwakar and Soumya Das.

The court directed its registry to inform Dhoni about the defamation suit filed against him by the duo. The suit seeks a permanent injunction and damages, aiming to halt the spread of alleged defamatory statements regarding purported illegal gains of Rs 15 crore and a breach of a 2017 contract.

Justice Prathiba M. Singh observed that Dhoni has not yet been served with the plea by the plaintiffs, and as a result, it was deemed appropriate to issue intimation to him. The plaintiffs also targeted major online platforms such as X, Google, YouTube, Meta (Facebook), and several news outlets, seeking the removal of articles and posts they claim to be defamatory.

The court instructed the registry to send an email to Dhoni at the provided email address and inform the law firm representing him. The next hearing for this matter is scheduled for January 29, where the legal proceedings are expected to progress further.

It is worth noting that Dhoni had previously filed a criminal case against Mihir Diwakar and Soumya Das, accusing them of duping him of approximately Rs 16 crore by not honouring a contract to establish cricket academies. This criminal case was filed in a court in Ranchi against two directors of Aarka Sports, a sports management company owned by Diwakar and Das.

The disputed contract was initially entered into between Dhoni and Aarka Sports Management for the establishment of cricket academies in India and around the world. The legal dispute escalated when Diwakar claimed that Dhoni's lawyer conducted a damaging press conference on January 6, making allegations against him and his wife. The ex-business partners argue that these widely reported allegations have adversely affected Diwakar's reputation.