AN Indian court has issued an arrest warrant for cricket captain MS Dhoni, who is alleged to have hurt the religious sentiments of Hindus by being depicted as the god Vishnu.
While Dhoni is in England preparing for a series, a local court in Anantapur issued the arrest warrant given the megastar did not appear in the court despite three summons served in the past. Police have been directed to present Dhoni in the court by July 16.
Dhoni, who makes many millions of dollars per year from endorsements, appeared on the cover of April 2013’s edition of Business Today. He was depicted as Vishnu, with his many arms grasping the products of sponsors.
The magazine headline was “God of Big Deals”.
Y. Shyam Sunder, a local leader of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), filed a petition in the court in February this year alleging that the cricketer hurt the sentiments of Hindus by denigrating a Hindu god.
The summons issued by the court to Dhoni on three occasions were returned. The court, which took up the hearing Tuesday, issued the arrest warrant. Similar petitions against Dhoni were filed in Delhi, Pune and other cities.