The Madras High Court has directed MS Dhoni to deposit Rs 10 lakh for transcription and translation of CDs in his 2014 defamation suit over the 2013 IPL betting controversy. The amount must be paid by March 12, 2026, into the Chief Justice Relief Fund.
In a significant development in the long-pending defamation case filed by former Indian cricket captain MS Dhoni, the Madras High Court has directed him to deposit Rs 10 lakh towards the expenses of transcribing and translating CDs that form part of the evidence in his 2014 civil suit.
The order was passed on February 11, 2026 by Justice Dr R.N. Manjula in the case. The Court fixed the total charges for transcription and translation at Rs 10,00,000 and directed that the amount be deposited into the Chief Justice Relief Fund, Madras High Court, on or before March 12, 2026.
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Dhoni had filed the civil defamation suit in 2014 against Zee Media Corporation Ltd., G. Sampath Kumar, News Nation Network and others. In his plea, he alleged that certain television broadcasts and public statements falsely linked him to the 2013 IPL betting and match-fixing controversy. According to Dhoni, these allegations seriously harmed his personal and professional reputation. He has sought a permanent injunction to restrain the defendants from making or publishing any defamatory statements and has also claimed damages of Rs 100 crore.
During the trial, certain CDs relied upon by Dhoni were required to be officially transcribed and translated so that they could be properly used as evidence before the Court. Earlier, by an order dated October 28, 2025, the High Court had already directed that transcription and translation work should be carried out, subject to payment of the necessary charges.
In the present order, the Court recorded the submission made by the official Interpreter attached to the High Court. The Interpreter described the task as a “humongous task”. It was informed to the Court that completing the work would require the full-time engagement of one Interpreter and one Typist for nearly three to four months because of the large volume and nature of the content in the CDs.
Considering the time required, the manpower involved, and the additional expenses for preparing the copies, the Court fixed the total cost at Rs 10 lakh.
The Court further observed that normally it is the duty of the plaintiff to file documents in translated form along with the plaint itself. However, in this particular case, the services of the official Court Interpreter were required due to extraneous circumstances that had been mentioned in the earlier order.
In view of these facts, the Court held that it was the responsibility of the plaintiff to bear the cost of the work undertaken for transcription and translation. Therefore, Dhoni has been directed to deposit the amount in the Chief Justice Relief Fund of the Madras High Court on or before March 12, 2026.
The Court has also instructed the Interpreter to complete the transcription and translation work before the third week of March 2026 so that the trial can proceed further without delay.
The matter has been listed for hearing on March 12, 2026, by which date the plaintiff must comply with the Court’s direction regarding deposit of the amount.
This order is an important step in the nearly 12-year-old defamation case arising out of the 2013 IPL betting and match-fixing controversy, and it highlights the procedural responsibilities of parties when relying on audio-visual evidence in civil trials.
Case Title:
MS Dhoni vs Zee Media and Others
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