The Madras High Court has ordered former Indian cricket team and former Chennai Super Kings captain MS Dhoni to pay ₹10 lakh to translate content related to the defamation suit he filed against retired IPS officer G Sampathkumar, in which he sought ₹100 crore as compensation for his alleged association with the 2013 IPL betting scam.
The order was issued by Justice RN Manjula while issuing further interim orders on Wednesday, February 11, on a plea filed by the cricketer.
In her order, the judge stated that pursuant to an order dated October 28, 2025, the court interpreter undertook to transcribe and translate the contents of the CDs involved in this case. However, the order was approved with the condition that the necessary costs related to it be paid.
‘Humonous Task’
The judge said he learned from the interpreter that it was a huge task and that the entire process of translation and transcription required a lot of time and energy of at least one interpreter and scribe over a period of about three to four months to complete.
Since the full time of one interpreter and typist was required, plus the costs associated with the preparation of copies, the transcription and translation fees were set at ₹10 lakhs paid by the plaintiff (Dhoni).
The judge said that under normal circumstances and in a lawsuit, it is the plaintiff who has to do the work and file the documents with their lawsuit.
Since the hiring of an official interpreter was necessary in view of the external circumstances, and as stated in the earlier order dated October 28, 2025, there was an obligation on the part of the plaintiff to pay the cost of the work done, the judge said.
The judge ordered the interpreter to complete the transcription and translation of the contents of the CD by the third week of March 2026 and stated the cost of ₹10,00,000 was required to be paid by the plaintiff into the account of Chief Justice Relief Fund, Madras High Court, on or before March 12, 2026, the judge added, posting March 12 for further hearing of the case.
The language involved in the translation work could not be immediately ascertained.