In a development that could bring relief to Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain MS Dhoni ahead of IPL 2024, a Ranchi court has directed the summons of his former business partners in a cheating case.
Allegations and Legal Action
MS Dhoni has accused his ex-business associates of defrauding him of approximately ₹16 crore by failing to fulfil a contract to establish cricket academies, as per his lawyer’s statement.
The court order, issued by the Judicial Magistrate First Class, comes after Dhoni filed a case against two directors of a company under Sections 406 (criminal breach of trust) and 420 (cheating) of the IPC in October 2023.
Unauthorised Academies in name of MS Dhoni
According to Dhoni’s lawyer, the accused directors allegedly established cricket academies in several locations under Dhoni’s name without sharing the proceeds, leading to substantial losses for the former Indian cricket team captain.
Initially, an agreement was reached whereby Dhoni would receive the full franchise fee, and profits would be divided on a 70:30 basis between him and his partners. However, the partners purportedly disregarded this arrangement and set up academies without Dhoni’s consent or remuneration.
Legal Proceedings
Legal notices were issued to the accused twice for violating the terms of the agreement, but they allegedly continued to operate cricket academies and sports complexes under Dhoni’s name without informing him or sharing any proceeds.
The court’s decision to issue summons indicates progress in Dhoni’s efforts to seek justice in the matter.
As the legal battle unfolds, MS Dhoni focuses on leading CSK in the upcoming IPL season, drawing motivation from this development ahead of the tournament’s commencement.
