Madras High Court Sentences Ex-IPS Officer Sampath Kumar in Contempt Case Filed by Dhoni

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In a significant judicial development, the Madras High Court has delivered a verdict sentencing retired Indian Police Service (IPS) officer G Sampath Kumar to 15 days of imprisonment following a contempt petition filed against him by former Indian cricket team captain, Mahendra Singh Dhoni. However, the court has deferred the sentence for 30 days, granting Kumar the opportunity to appeal against the ruling.

The bench comprising justices SS Sundar and Sunder Mohan pronounced the sentence while also providing a 30-day suspension of the jail term, allowing Sampath Kumar to challenge the decision before higher legal authorities.

The contentious legal feud stemmed from Dhoni’s ₹100 crore defamation suit, initially lodged in 2014 against Sampath Kumar, then serving with the CID department of Tamil Nadu Police, and a television channel. The lawsuit was filed in response to match-fixing allegations levied against Dhoni in connection with the Indian Premier League betting case.

Subsequently, Dhoni filed a contempt petition against the retired IPS officer, citing disparaging remarks made by Kumar against the Supreme Court and the Madras High Court. These statements, among other grievances, formed the basis of Dhoni’s legal action against Sampath Kumar.

The backdrop to this legal strife delves into Sampath Kumar’s involvement in the initial probe of the 2013 IPL betting case. However, he was later removed from the case and faced suspension following allegations of accepting bribes from certain bookies. Although a trial court cleared Kumar of these accusations in 2019 due to insufficient evidence, he contends that he was framed to impede his investigation into the entire scandal.

This legal saga intertwining a retired IPS officer and a cricketing icon has captured attention due to its implications on sports, law enforcement, and issues of defamation and contempt, setting the stage for further legal deliberation in the days to come.

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