 "IPL betting: Zee, News Nation telecast of Dhoni restrained")
The high court here has granted an interim injunction of two weeks, restraining Zee Media Corporation Ltd (which runs Zee News) and News Nation Network (which telecasts News Nation) from publishing any news on Indian cricket team captain Mahenda Singh Dhoni pertaining to betting and match-fixing.
The order related to a petition filed by Dhoni against Zee News, its editor and business head Sudhir Chaudhary, Indian Police Service officer G Sampath Kumar and News Nation Network. The petition also sought Rs 100 crore in damages.
On February 10, retired judge Mukul Mudgal had filed to the apex court a report on allegations of betting and spot-fixing in Indian Premier League matches. Subsequently, Zee News reported Dhoni was involved in a betting and fixing scandal.
The petition said since February 11, 2014, Zee News, Chaudhary and Kumar had been broadcasting and hosting on their website false news reports that indicated Dhoni was involved in betting, match fixing and spot-fixing.
“The defendants have neither bothered to seek any kind of clarification from the plaintiff nor have they tried to verify the statements from any other source,” the petition said. It said due to the attack, Dhoni’s image and therefore, his marketability, had been hit; his agents had received calls from sponsors asking about the goings-on. The extent of the damage in this regard would be known only after a proper assessment, the petition said.
Zee Media said, “Zee Media vehemently rebuts the allegations in the defamation civil suit by Mahindra Singh Dhoni. The channel has not telecast any footage or dialogue to malign the image. It has, however, telecast the story based on revelations by Vindu Dara Singh and Sampat Kumar during the sting operation telecast on February 24 and 28, respectively, by Zee Media. As a responsible news channel, Zee Media has ideated the story based on the sting and also on the report filed by Mudgal to the apex court, widely reported. The channel has done the sting operations based on facts in the public domain, as a series of stories were published by various organisations during February 10-14.”
The order related to a petition filed by Dhoni against Zee News, its editor and business head Sudhir Chaudhary, Indian Police Service officer G Sampath Kumar and News Nation Network. The petition also sought Rs 100 crore in damages.
On February 10, retired judge Mukul Mudgal had filed to the apex court a report on allegations of betting and spot-fixing in Indian Premier League matches. Subsequently, Zee News reported Dhoni was involved in a betting and fixing scandal.
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In his petition, Dhoni urged the court to issue a permanent injunction, restraining the media groups concerned, their associates or any other person or entity in print or electronic media or the internet from publishing or telecasting matter directly or indirectly pertaining to the alleged report of the company.
The petition said since February 11, 2014, Zee News, Chaudhary and Kumar had been broadcasting and hosting on their website false news reports that indicated Dhoni was involved in betting, match fixing and spot-fixing.
“The defendants have neither bothered to seek any kind of clarification from the plaintiff nor have they tried to verify the statements from any other source,” the petition said. It said due to the attack, Dhoni’s image and therefore, his marketability, had been hit; his agents had received calls from sponsors asking about the goings-on. The extent of the damage in this regard would be known only after a proper assessment, the petition said.
Zee Media said, “Zee Media vehemently rebuts the allegations in the defamation civil suit by Mahindra Singh Dhoni. The channel has not telecast any footage or dialogue to malign the image. It has, however, telecast the story based on revelations by Vindu Dara Singh and Sampat Kumar during the sting operation telecast on February 24 and 28, respectively, by Zee Media. As a responsible news channel, Zee Media has ideated the story based on the sting and also on the report filed by Mudgal to the apex court, widely reported. The channel has done the sting operations based on facts in the public domain, as a series of stories were published by various organisations during February 10-14.”