Court issues a non-bailable warrant against MS Dhoni

Anantpur court (Andhra Pradesh) has issued a non-bailable warrant against India’s limited overs skipper MS Dhoni for his controversial magazine cover posing as Lord Vishnu in 2013. According to the reports today, Dhoni has been asked to appear by a court in Anantpur on February 25.

In 2013, Jayakumar Hiremath, a social activist, claimed Dhoni had hurt Hindu sentiments. For this, cases were filed against the cricketer for “denigrating” Hindu God. After the complaint, a case was registered under section 295 and 34 of the Indian Penal code. However, Dhoni defended himself saying that he did not pose as God.

“I haven’t received any remuneration/goodwill or money for the news article or for usage of my picture on the cover page or anywhere else. Neither have I posed for the picture which was published in the magazine on April 14, 2013,” the captain had said.

In August 2015, the Karnataka High Court, after taking up the case, had observed: “A celebrity and a cricketer like Dhoni should know the consequences of hurting religious sentiments of people. He should have known the consequences of doing such ads.”

Later in the month of September, The Supreme Court had stayed criminal proceedings against Dhoni in the same case where he was alleged to have deliberately hurt religious sentiments by posing as Lord Vishnu.

Dhoni is currently in Australia and will be leading the team in the ODI and T20I series. The Indian team will play the first tour match on 8th January and the ODI series would commence from 12th January.