Madras High Court tells Dhoni to pay Rs 10 lakh for translation in defamatory suit against retired IPS officer

Chennai: The Madras High Court has directed cricketer M S Dhoni to pay Rs 10 lakh towards translation of content related to the defamation suit he had filed against retired IPS officer G Sampathkumar seeking Rs 100 crore as damages for allegedly linking him to the IPL betting scam of 2013.

Justice R N Manjula gave the directive while passing further interim orders on February 11 on a suit filed by Dhoni.

In her order, the judge said in pursuant to the order dated October 28, 2025, the interpreter of this court has taken up the task of transcribing and translating the contents of the CD's involved in this case. However, the order has been passed on the condition to pay necessary charges.

The judge said it was learnt from the interpreter that it was a humongous task and it takes much time and energy of at least one interpreter and a typist for nearly three to four months to complete the same.

Since the entire time of one interpreter and the involvement of a typist was also required and the additional cost was also involved in preparing the copies, the charges for transcription and translation was fixed at a sum of Rs 10 lakh, which was payable by the plaintiff (Dhoni).

The judge said that in normal circumstances and in a suit, it was the plaintiff who has to do this work and file the documents along with his plaint.

As the engagement of official interpreter was needed in view of the extraneous circumstances and as mentioned in the earlier order dated October 28, 2025, it was obligatory on the part of the plaintiff to pay the cost of the job done, the judge said.

Directing the interpreter to complete the transcription and translation of the contents of the CD's before the third week of March, 2026, the judge said the cost of Rs 10 lakh was required to be paid by the plaintiff to the account of Chief Justice Relief Fund, Madras High Court, on or before March 12, 2026, the judge added and posted to March 12, further hearing of the case.

The language involved in the translation work could not be ascertained immediately.