“Dhoni and his team of directors have committed serious mismanagement, deceitful activities” - Former business partner counters cheating allegations

MS Dhoni’s former business partner Mihir Diwakar has rubbished allegations of fraud leveled against him by the former India captain. Countering the charges, Diwakar, CEO of Aarka Sports', has claimed that he is being accused because Dhoni and his team of directors “committed serious mismanagement, deceitful activities and criminal conspiracy against founder of a public limited company”.

On Friday, January 5, a number of media reports stated that Dhoni had filed a criminal case against his former business partners Mihir Diwakar and Soumya Vishwash. The reports claimed that the former Team India keeper had been reportedly cheated of more than ₹15 crore.

As per an article in India Today, Dhoni had an agreement with Diwakar of Aarka Sports and Management Limited to establish cricket academies across the globe back in 2017. However, Diwakar did not follow the agreement's stipulations, after which Dhoni revoked Aarka Sports' authority letter on August 15, 2021.

Taking to social media to share his version of events, Diwakar lashed out at Dhoni and termed the allegations of cheating leveled against him as utterly baseless. In a detailed post on his X handle, he wrote:

“With utmost pain and consternation I wish to clarify that the story implanted and run on electronic and print media about cheating #msd is utterly baseless and is done to defame me to destroy my social reputation and my reputation in sports fraternity to inflict business losses to me.

“MSD has authorised me for working jointly in 2017 and there has been no revocation by him, few mails from his CA. And a legal notice has been sent by MSD which was suitably replied and complied. MSD on his letter head, had authorize me but the same was never revoked by him,” he added.

Diwakar also claimed that he doesn’t owe Dhoni any money. On the contrary, he alleged that the Indian cricket legend has to pay certain amounts which he has collected directly from academies.

“Further, I clarify that there is no dues/ outstanding of MSD with me rather MSD has to pay certain amounts which has been collected from academies directly by #msdhoni. By dint of my hard work I established, materialized and expanded the work which has pinched him and MSD being a big name is trying to throttle me, my business and my social integrity,” Diwakar wrote.

“This story is imaginary, scandalous and needs to be withdrawn immediately. The real reason behind all this false accusations against me is because #MSDhoni and his team of directors have committed serious mismanagement, deceitful activities and criminal conspiracy against founder of a public limited company,” he alleged in the post.

“The actual founder [of the company] is asking MSD for clarification, alleging him on multiple counts which MSD is not replying. Shri MS Dhoni and his team has done grave injustice to me too which amounts to serious criminal offence,” he continued.

While concluding his lengthy defense in his social media post, Diwakar requested the media not to victimize him and his wife on “unsubstantiated allegations”.

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Video of MS Dhoni smoking hookah goes viral

Dhoni has been in the news constantly of late. Recently, a video of him smoking hookah during an event went viral on social media.

While exact details of the video are not available, the clip surprised a number of fans as the 42-year-old is known to be a fitness freak.

Earlier, the keeper-batter had led Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to victory in Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023.