Chennai: Former Team India captain and Chennai Super Kings legend M S Dhoni has been asked to cough up Rs 10 lakh in a defamation suit filed by him!
Dhoni’s defamation suit, against retired IPS officer G Sampathkumar, sought Rs 100 crore as damages for allegedly linking the cricketer to the 2013 IPL betting scam.
The Madras High Court has now directed the cricketer to pay Rs 10 lakh towards translation of content related to the case.
Justice R N Manjula gave the directive while passing further interim orders on February 11.
In pursuant to the order dated October 28, 2025, the judge said in her directive that the interpreter of the court has taken up the task of transcribing and translating the contents of the CDs involved in this case.
However, the order was passed on the condition to pay necessary charges.
Justice Manjula said it was learnt from the interpreter that it was a humongous task and it takes much time and energy of at least one interpreter and a typist for nearly three to four months to complete the same, reported PTI.
Since the entire time of one interpreter and the involvement of a typist was also required and the additional cost was also involved in preparing the copies, the charges for transcription and translation was fixed at a sum of Rs 10 lakh, which was payable by the plaintiff (Dhoni).
The judge said that under normal circumstances, and in a suit, it was the plaintiff who has to do this work and file the documents along with his plaint.
As the engagement of official interpreter was needed in view of the extraneous circumstances and as mentioned in the earlier order dated October 28, 2025, it was obligatory on the part of the plaintiff to pay the cost of the job done, the judge said.
The judge directed the interpreter to complete the transcription and translation of the contents of the CDs before the third week of March, 2026, and said the cost of Rs 10 lakh was required to be paid by the plaintiff to the account of Chief Justice Relief Fund, Madras High Court, on or before March 12, 2026.
March 12 will be the next date of hearing in the case.
