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Anantapur court issues NBW against Dhoni
The Additional Judicial First Class Magistrate here on Friday issued a non-bailable arrest warrant (NBW) against cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni in a case accusing him of hurting religious sentiments by appearing as Lord Vishnu on a magazine cover holding a shoe in his hands.
Lord Vishnu cover controversy
Anantapur: The Additional Judicial First Class Magistrate here on Friday issued a non-bailable arrest warrant (NBW) against cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni in a case accusing him of hurting religious sentiments by appearing as Lord Vishnu on a magazine cover holding a shoe in his hands.
Dhoni, who is in Australia for a limited over series, was not available for comments but his lawyer and manager said Dhoni was never issued summons in the case. The case against Dhoni, 34, was filed by a VHP leader in Anantapur town for allegedly hurting religious sentiments of the Hindus while posing as the deity on the cover of Business Today magazine in April, 2013.
The magazine’s report titled ‘God of Big Deals’ was on the brand value of the former Test captain. The court has asked the police to produce Dhoni on February 25. Advocate Gopal Rao, who represented petitioner Yerraguntla Shyamsundar in the court, said the court had earlier issued summons to both Dhoni and the magazine editor Chaitanya Kalbag.
“While it is unknown if Kalbag received the summons, an acknowledgment was received from Dhoni. Since he did not appear before the court even after summoned, the court took a serious view and issued the non-bailable arrest warrant for Dhoni,” Rao said.
The cricket icon’s lawyer, Rajneesh Chopra, described the warrant as “erroneous”. “Mahendra Singh Dhoni has utmost respect for the judiciary but the fact of the matter is that he has personally never received any summons with respect to the present case; therefore, the order appears to be erroneous,” Chopra said in a statement issued by Rhiti Sports, the company managing Dhoni.
Dhoni’s manager Arun Pandey, however, insisted that Dhoni was never served with summons.
Last year, the Supreme Court had stayed criminal proceedings against the cricketer in another case related to the same image.
The petitioner had urged the court to punish the accused under section 200 of the Criminal Procedure Code besides section 295A, 298 and 499 of the Indian Penal Code. However, to start proceedings under the second 295A, a prior sanction of appropriate authorities is required by law under section 196 (1) of the criminal procedure code.
While the District Collector was petitioned, the same was forwarded to the State Chief Secretary and subsequently sent to the Central Government to give necessary sanction.
