Published Aug 07, 2026 | 5:02 PM ⚊ Updated Aug 07, 2026 | 5:03 PM
Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay.
Synopsis: Sankgeetha Sornalingam has withdrawn the divorce petition she filed against her husband, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and TVK president C Joseph Vijay, more than seven months after moving the Chengalpattu Family Court to dissolve their marriage. The Court permitted the withdrawal after she informed it that she did not wish to pursue the case and closed the proceedings, while granting her liberty to file a fresh petition if required.
More than seven months after moving the Chengalpattu Family Court to dissolve her marriage with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) president C Joseph Vijay, Sankgeetha Sornalingam has withdrawn the petition.
The petition, filed in December 2025 under the Special Marriage Act, 1954, sought the dissolution of the couple’s marriage, solemnised in Chennai on 25 August 1999.
Appearing before the Family Court via video conference on Friday, 7 August, Sankgeetha informed Judge Sujatha that she did not wish to pursue the divorce petition.
After recording that Vijay’s counsel had no objection, the Court permitted her to withdraw the petition, granted her liberty to file a fresh petition if required, and closed the proceedings.
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The petition came to public attention in February, months ahead of the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, triggering intense public scrutiny.
In the petition, Sankgeetha alleged that Vijay was in a relationship with another woman and sought fair and reasonable permanent alimony.
In a separate application filed before the Chengalpattu Family Court on 22 February, Sankgeetha alleged that Vijay’s lawyers had threatened that she would not be allowed to enter the matrimonial home if she continued with the proceedings. She submitted that she had lived at the Neelankarai residence for the past 26 years, feared being denied access to the property and, as a British national, had no other residential accommodation comparable to the respondent’s family status.
She sought an interim order permitting her to continue residing at No. 36, Casuarina Drive, Sri Kapaleeshwar Nagar, Neelankarai, Chennai, until the disposal of the main petition or until equivalent alternative accommodation was provided.
Vijay has not publicly responded to the allegations made in the divorce proceedings.
His appearance with actor Trisha at the wedding reception of film producer Kalpathi S Suresh’s son, however, caused a furore on social media.
More recently, comments by the couple’s son, Jason Sanjay, about his father during an interview with a private television channel also drew widespread attention online.
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
