MS Dhoni Moves SC Against Amrapali Over Rs 40 Crore Dues

After thousands of duped homebuyers, it is now former Indian cricket captain MS Dhoni who has knocked at the doors of the Supreme Court against the Amrapali group, seeking the courts' intervention to get around Rs 40 crore from the group for using his services for branding and marketing activities for six years.

Dhoni entered into various agreements with the Amrapali group in 2009 to promote the company as its brand ambassador and granted exclusive rights to the builder to use his endorsement in marketing and public relation activities. He remained associated with the group for around six years but parted ways in 2016 after duped homebuyers launched a social media campaign against the cricketer for promoting the company. His wife was also associated with the charity operations of the group.

As the Supreme Court is hearing the plea of around 46000 homebuyers against the group for cheating them by not delivering the flats and has ordered attachment of all its properties besides those of its associated companies and their directors, Dhoni approached the apex court to protect his financial stakes. He pleaded the court to earmark certain land parcels of the group for him to protect his interests.

Dhoni who was the marketing face of the real estate company and was seen in various advertisements, told the court that the company had entered into various agreements with him to promote its brand and its various housing projects but it did not pay the money for his services and claimed that a told amount of Rs 38.95 crore is due to him.

The builder, the Amrapali group, owes an amount in excess of Rs 38.95 crore of which Rs 22.53 crore is towards the principal amount and Rs 16.42 crores towards interest calculated at 18% simple interest per annum, he said.