Team India former cricketer and world cup winning captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has filed a criminal contempt petition in the Madras High Court against IPS officer G Sampath Kumar, who had investigated the Indian Premier League (IPL) spot-fixing and betting scandal of 2013. MS Dhoni in his plea has alleged that IPS Sampath Kumar had made defamatory remarks in his written submissions in a related case and that such remarks would amount to contempt of court. The matter was listed for hearing on Friday, but could not be taken up due to paucity of time. Now, the question arises who is IPS Sampath Kumar and how he is at loggerheads with MS Dhoni in legal terms?
IPS officer G Sampath Kumar and MS Dhoni controversy
Reportedly, in 2021, Dhoni had filed a defamation suit in the High Court against Sampath, a television media company and others over alleged malicious statements and news reports claiming that he had been involved in betting and match-fixing of IPL matches in 2013. He had sought to restrain the defendants - including Kumar, who initially probed the IPL betting scam - from issuing or publishing defamatory statements against him related to the issue. At the time, Justice S Tamilvanan, who is now retired, had granted an interim injunction restraining the defendants from making such statements or publishing them against MS Dhoni.
In his contempt plea, Dhoni said that in July this year, he had obtained the consent of the Tamil Nadu Advocate General to pursue contempt proceedings against Sampath. He thus urged the High Court to issue summons to Sampath. On the other hand, the IPS officer had earlier approached the Court to quash and set aside the defamation proceedings against him filed by the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) skipper. He submitted his written submissions to the Court in December 2021. Not only this, but in his submission, Sampath stated that people were trying to suppress his voice through such a suit.
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Moreover, Sampath raised questions on the Supreme Court's decision to keep the Mudgal Committee report, which contained details of the probe into allegations of corruption against former Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI) Chairman N Srinivasan and others, in a sealed cover.
What is the Mudgal Committee report?
For the unversed, Mudgal Committee was a four-member committee, headed by former High Court judge Mukul Mudgal and comprising the then Additional Solicitor General of India L Nageswara Rao and senior advocate and former cricket umpire Nilay Dutta to conduct an independent inquiry into the allegations of corruption against BCCI chief N. Srinivasan's son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan, India Cements, and Rajasthan Royals team owner Jaipur IPS Cricket Private Ltd, as well as with the larger mandate of investigating allegations having to do with betting and spot-fixing in 2013 Indian Premier League matches and the involvement of players. However, Supreme Court kept the report of the Mudgal committee private. Notably, Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals were suspended from the IPL for a few years.