Supreme Court quashes case against MS Dhoni

The complaint was lodged against Dhoni and others at a trial court in Anantapur in Andhra Pradesh.

The Supreme Court on Thursday quashed criminal proceedings against cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni pending at a trial court in Andhra Pradesh for allegedly hurting religious sentiments by posing as Lord Vishnu on a magazine cover.

A bench led by Justice Dipak Misra also dropped all proceedings against the editor of Business Today for publishing the photo. The court noted that no offence under section 295A (hurting religious sentiments) of the IPC is made out against Dhoni or the editor. “It would be a travesty of justice if the cricketer and the co-accused editor are prosecuted.”

The complaint was lodged against Dhoni and others at a trial court in Anantapur in Andhra Pradesh. An Anantapur district court had issued a non-bailable warrant against Dhoni on January 8 in relation to the case filed against him for “hurting Hindu sentiments”.

Several criminal cases were filed against Dhoni for posing as Vishnu on the magazine cover in 2013.