NEW DELHI: In a huge relief to retired IPS officer Sampath Kumar the Supreme Court in its order on Monday stayed the Madras High Court's decision of sentencing him to 15 days imprisonment in the contempt of court petition filed by former Indian team cricket team captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
A two-judge bench of the apex court, headed by Juztice Abhay S Oka also comprising Justice Ujjal Bhuyan issued notice to concerned respondents, after hearing a petition filed by Sampath Kumar.
Earlier, the Madras High Court had on December last year sentenced Kumar to 15 days of imprisonment in the contempt petition moved by Dhoni.
However, a division bench of Justice SS Sundar and Justice Sunder Mohan suspended the sentence for 30 days to enable him to prefer an appeal before a higher court.
Kumar, through his lawyer B Balaji, had knocked on the doors of the Supreme Court, challenging the Madras High Court's order.
Dhoni had filed the contempt petition against the officer in 2022 and alleged him of making derogatory remarks against the Supreme Court.
Dhoni had sought action against Kumar by issuing process against him in accordance with the law.
Dhoni in his contempt petition said that Kumar has stated that the Supreme Court deviated its focus on the rule of law and shelved the deposition of the Justice Mudgal Committee and kept it in a sealed cover for reasons he failed to comprehend.