CHENNAI — In a major legal development, Sangeetha Sornalingam, wife of actor-turned-politician and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay, has formally withdrawn her petitions for divorce and residency rights before the Chengalpattu Family Court. The decision brings an end to high-profile legal proceedings that had drawn intense public and political attention across the state.
The case came up for hearing on Friday before Family Court Judge D. Sujatha. During the morning session, legal counsel representing Vijay requested an adjournment, citing his ongoing official responsibilities in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly session. However, Sangeetha’s legal team pressed for the scheduled proceedings to continue, prompting the court to defer the hearing to the post-lunch session.
Video Conference Hearing and Formal Closure
During the afternoon session, Sangeetha appeared before the court via video conference and submitted a formal plea expressing her wish to withdraw both the primary divorce petition—originally filed under the Special Marriage Act—and her accompanying plea seeking residency rights.
Judge Sujatha conducted a 15-minute interaction with Sangeetha over video conference to record her statement and verify her decision. Finding no objections raised by the respondent’s legal counsel, the court accepted the withdrawal application and formally closed the divorce proceedings, granting liberty to the petitioner to seek future legal remedies if necessary.
Court officials confirmed that with the recorded withdrawal, all pending matrimonial litigation initiated by Sangeetha against the Tamizhaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief stands officially concluded. Neither party has issued a public statement regarding the underlying factors leading to the withdrawal.
Background of the Matrimonial Dispute
Sangeetha had originally approached the Chengalpattu Family Court in February 2026 seeking dissolution of marriage and injunctive relief regarding media coverage. The petition contained allegations of infidelity and constructive desertion, citing emotional strain and marital breakdown since 2021.
The court proceedings drew significant public scrutiny as they coincided with the high-decibel political campaign ahead of the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, in which Vijay led his newly formed party to electoral success. Previous hearings on April 20 and June 15 had seen procedural adjournments regarding personal appearance directions before Friday’s virtual hearing resolved the matter.
A related public interest litigation filed before the Madras High Court questioning Vijay's election affidavit disclosures—specifically referencing financial transactions listed between the couple—was previously dismissed by the High Court in April.
A Nearly Three-Decade Relationship
Vijay and Sangeetha, a British national of Sri Lankan origin, first met in 1996 during the early years of Vijay’s film career. The couple registered their marriage in the United Kingdom in 1998 before solemnizing their union through a traditional Hindu ceremony in Chennai on August 25, 1999. They have two children: a son, Jason Sanjay, born in 2000, and a daughter, Dhivya Shasha, born in 2005.
With the family court's formal acceptance of Sangeetha's withdrawal plea, the months-long legal dispute stands officially dismissed.