The Delhi High Court is set to examine a lawsuit filed by Mihir Diwakar and his wife Soumya Das, former business associates of cricketer MS Dhoni, on January 29. The couple is seeking a restraining order against CSK skipper, preventing him from making defamatory allegations accusing them of defrauding him of ₹15 crore by breaching a contract related to the establishment of cricket academies.
Justice Prathiba Singh directed the plaintiffs and the court registry to inform MS Dhoni about the pending suit. The legal action stems from an agreement made in 2017 between Aarka Sports Management, owned by Diwakar and Das, and Dhoni. According to the terms, MS Dhoni was to receive the entire franchise fee, and profits were to be shared on a 70:30 basis between Dhoni and the ex-business partners.
MS Dhoni contends that he revoked the agreement in August 2021, accusing the former partners of establishing academies without informing him and failing to make payments. In response, he filed a criminal case in October 2021, under Sections 406 and 420 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against Diwakar and Das in a Ranchi court.
The ex-business partners argue that the allegations made by MS Dhoni lack basis and evidence and are intended to tarnish their reputation. They have filed a suit requesting the court to direct platforms like X (formerly known as Twitter), Google, YouTube, Facebook, and other news outlets to remove defamatory posts and articles.
During the court hearing on Thursday, Diwakar, represented by advocate Rishi Awsthi, claimed that Dhoni’s lawyer, Dayanand Sharma, conducted a press conference on January 6, 2024, before any decision was made by the trial court on the complaint. During the press conference, Sharma allegedly leveled accusations against the duo, impacting their reputation.
Diwakar also argued that although the letter of authorization was revoked via email on August 15, 2021, it was sent by an unknown third party with no authorization to revoke the letter. The upcoming court hearing will shed light on the legal complexities surrounding this dispute between MS Dhoni and his former business partners.
