Supreme Court Dismisses Case Against MS Dhoni Over Lord Vishnu Magazine Cover

The Supreme Court on Monday cancelled criminal proceedings against India ODI captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni in a case that accused him of hurting religious sentiments by being featured as Lord Vishnu in a business magazine.

A bench headed by Justice Ranjan Gogoi granted relief to Dhoni after noting that the trial court in Karnataka erred in summoning the cricketer without following the due procedure of law.

"We interfere with the order of the High Court and quash the proceedings including the summoning order against the accused... we have taken note of the complaint and the offence alleged while passing this order," the bench said.

An edition of the Business Today magazine had in April 2013 shown Dhoni as Lord Vishnu with many hands holding, among other things, a shoe, in an article titled 'The God of Big Deals.'

A case was filed was filed in Bengaluru by activist Jayakumar Hiremath against Dhoni, the publisher and editor of the magazine alleging that they had insulted the Hindu religion.

A  petition was also filed in Anantapur by local Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Shyam Sunder. A court in Andhra Pradesh in 2016 issued a non-bailable warrant against the cricketer.

Dhoni had then moved the Supreme Court seeking that criminal proceedings against him be quashed.

The Delhi Court had heard the complaint filed by Rajinder Singh Raja, national general secretary of a social organisation Shivsena Hindustan.

When the case was taken up in the Karnataka High Court, it was critical of Dhoni and stated that it was a tendency of celebrities to sign ads just for money without giving a thought to the consequences.

(With Inputs From A Vaidyanathan and PTI)