Andhra court issues bailable warrant against MS Dhoni

Anantapur (Andhra Pradesh), June 24: A local court on Tuesday issued a bailable warrant against the Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni in connection with a private complaint which accuses him of hurting the religious sentiments of Hindus.

The sessions court in Anantapur issued the warrant based on the complaint filed by Gopal Rao and Shyam Sunder, who reportedly belong to a Hindu right-wing organisation, and asked Dhoni to appear before it on or before 16 July.

In the complaint filed in June last year before a magistrate, Rao and Shyam Sunder had said that Dhoni was shown in the form of a Hindu deity on the cover page of a business magazine, holding among other things a shoe in his hand. This "hurt the religious sentiments", the complainants alleged. They also wanted registration of offence against the editor of the magazine.

MS Dhoni was accused of hurting the religious sentiments of Hindus

The magistrate, however, did not entertain the application, after which they moved the sessions court. The sessions court subsequently issued notices to the editor and Dhoni.

The representatives of the magazine on Tuesday appeared before the court, but nobody accepted the notice on Dhoni's behalf. "The court issued the bailable warrant as neither Dhoni nor anyone representing him appeared....it is not an arrest warrant, it is a bailable warrant seeking appearance," said a senior police officer.

PTI