Tech Entrepreneur's Divorce Battle Turns Ugly With Shocking Allegations

The bitter divorce and custody battle between Chennai-based tech entrepreneur Prasanna Sankar and his estranged wife, Dhivya, has escalated into a public showdown filled with serious accusations. Prasanna Sankar, co-founder of the startup Rippling, has strongly refuted his wife’s claims that he kidnapped their nine-year-old son and engaged in predatory behavior. In a series of detailed posts, he presented counter-evidence, including legal documents, WhatsApp screenshots, and email exchanges, to challenge her allegations.

A Marriage Turned Into a Legal Battlefield

What began as a dispute over their divorce settlement has now turned into an international controversy. According to Mr. Sankar, his wife has been using the police to harass him due to her dissatisfaction with the settlement. He claimed that Dhivya had filed multiple cases against him in Singapore, including accusations of rape and leaking her private videos, but Singaporean authorities reportedly dismissed them as false.

In his latest response, Mr. Sankar accused Dhivya of unlawfully taking their son to the United States and brainwashing him into believing that his father had abandoned him. He shared WhatsApp messages in which Dhivya allegedly instructed him on when to pick up their child, contradicting her claim that he had forcibly taken the boy. Additionally, email exchanges between their legal teams indicated that they had mutually agreed to a divorce settlement in India, with shared custody and a monthly child support payment of $5,000.

The Fight for Custody and a Bitter Public Dispute

Mr. Sankar also dismissed his wife's claim that he coerced her into signing the divorce agreement, stating that they had not communicated for months before the settlement. He further pointed to a court ruling that ordered Dhivya to return the child to India, contradicting her assertion that she was forced to relocate.

Adding fuel to the controversy, Dhivya held a press conference in Chennai, branding her estranged husband a "sex predator" who allegedly recorded women without their consent—an accusation she previously made in Singapore, where he was reportedly cleared of wrongdoing. She made similar allegations in Washington, but, according to Mr. Sankar, the judge ruled in his favor once again.

Allegations of Financial Misconduct and Child Abduction

Beyond personal accusations, Dhivya also alleged that Mr. Sankar had transferred their shared assets to his father's name to evade taxes. However, he countered by asserting that the assets in question were his shares in Rippling, a company he co-founded, in which Dhivya had no involvement.

Regarding their son’s well-being, Mr. Sankar claimed that the child was enrolled in one of Singapore’s top schools before Dhivya took him to the U.S. and placed him in a public school. "She abducted him to the U.S. for five months, denied me all contact, and convinced him that I had abandoned him. She even refused to allow me to send him a letter," he alleged.

Demanding a Fair Resolution

Despite the ongoing legal turmoil, Mr. Sankar has stated that he is willing to return the child to his mother on the condition that she does not attempt to take him away again. He insists on securing their son's passport in a joint locker to prevent future unilateral relocations, in accordance with their previously agreed-upon custody plan.

This contentious dispute gained widespread attention when Mr. Sankar publicly accused Dhivya of infidelity, which he claimed led to their separation. He alleged that after failed negotiations, she accused him of domestic violence in Singapore, a charge he was later cleared of. When she later accused him of child abduction in the U.S., he filed an international child abduction case, leading to a court ruling in his favor. The situation intensified further when Dhivya refused to comply with their custody agreement after returning to Chennai.

Adding another layer to the drama, Mr. Sankar accused the Chennai police of illegally detaining his friend Gokul, who had assisted him in picking up his son, and attempting to extort Rs 25 lakh for his release. He also claimed that authorities were tracking his phone and IP address without legal grounds, forcing him to remain in hiding.

A Case That Continues to Unfold

As the public watches this highly personal dispute play out, questions remain about how the case will be resolved. Both sides continue to present their narratives, each with its own set of claims and counterclaims. For now, this high-profile divorce and custody battle shows no sign of a peaceful resolution anytime soon.