The Madras High Court has instructed renowned cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni to pay ₹10 lakh by March 12 as part of a legal proceeding against retired IPS officer Sampath Kumar. This order pertains to the transcription of a CD that is integral to the defamation case initiated by Dhoni.

Details of the Defamation Case

Dhoni has filed a ₹100 crore defamation suit against Kumar, alleging that his reputation was damaged by remarks made during a television debate in 2013. During this debate, which centered around the IPL cricket betting controversy, Kumar claimed that Dhoni had connections to the scandal, which prompted the cricketer to take legal action.

Previous Court Orders

The High Court had previously mandated that the audio from the CD related to the case be transcribed into written format. This transcription is contingent upon the payment of specific fees. Justice RN Manjula, overseeing the case, highlighted the need for both a translator and a typist to invest substantial time in the transcription process, estimating that this task would take around three to four months.

Costs and Timeline for Transcription

In her observations, Justice Manjula pointed out that along with the translation costs, additional expenses would arise for duplicating the transcribed documents. Following this, the court directed Dhoni to deposit the stipulated ₹10 lakh into the Chief Justice’s Relief Fund by the mentioned deadline of March 12.

Next Steps in the Case

The court also stipulated that the tasked translator and typist are expected to finalize the transcription by the third week of March. The proceedings have been adjourned until March 12, marking the next significant date in this ongoing legal matter between Dhoni and Kumar.