Chennai:
Zee Media Corporation has filed a counter in the Rs 100 crore libel case filed by Indian cricket captain Mahender Singh Dhoni against the media house and urged the Madras High Court to vacate its interim injunction restraining the media house from telecasting or publishing any news linking Indian Cricket Captain M S Dhoni to acts of betting, spot fixing and match fixing of cricket matches.
The petition which was filed by legal executive of Zee Media, Jayakaran Winfred before Justice S Tamilvanan questioned Indian Cricket Captain’s claim that the media house is running a malicious campaign.
“The defendants not only relied on the report of then Superintendent of Police of Q Branch of CB-CBID of Tamil Nadu Sampath Kumar, who had investigated into the issue, but also conducted a sting on him where he corroborated the report,” Winfred said.
“This was an act of responsible journalism. Terming it as an act of malicious campaign and hate is delusional,” Winfred submitted.
He said Dhoni’s reputation is not higher than the game of cricket. “When the reputation of the entire game of cricket has suffered and the game is suffereing from a crisis of credibility the plaintiff can’t harp on his individual rights to gag a discussion on the issue of national importance,” the petitioner submitted.
“If an allegation is being made by an investigation officer on the basis of the material he uncovered during an investigation it has to be investigated. The non-investigation by CB-CID, Chennai which was commented upon by Mudgal committee is a matter of public concern and the media is duty bound to ask questions and demand answers,” Winfred said.
Zee Media also questioned Dhoni for not filing the report of Nilay Dutta, one of the three members of Mudgal committee. The petitioner alleged that in the report Dhoni allegedly receives repeated mention for his batting on May 12, 2013 match.
The judge adjourned the hearing for one week
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