Rippling Co-Founder Accuses Wife, Chennai Police Of Harassment In Custody Battle

Tech entrepreneur and co-founder of HR-tech startup Rippling, Prasanna Sankar, has accused his estranged wife, Dhivya, and the Chennai police of harassment amid an ongoing divorce and custody battle over their nine-year-old son. In a series of social media posts, Sankar claimed that the police are attempting to extort Rs 25 lakh from him while probing a “kidnap” complaint filed by his wife.

Techie Alleges Harassment and Extortion

Sankar alleged that his wife had an extramarital affair, leading to their divorce proceedings. As part of their settlement, he was required to pay her Rs 9 crore and Rs 4.3 lakh per month while sharing joint custody of their son. However, he claimed that his wife “abducted” their child to the US, prompting him to file an international child abduction case. A US court ruled in his favor, resulting in a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between them.

Despite the agreement, Sankar alleged that his wife refused to comply with the MoU, particularly regarding the child’s passport deposit in a shared locker. He further claimed that when he attempted to enforce the legal agreement, Dhivya filed multiple police complaints against him, including allegations of domestic violence, rape, and circulating private videos charges that Singapore police reportedly dismissed as baseless.

Chennai Police Accused of Tracking and Threatening

Sankar claimed that Chennai police are tracking his phone, car, and financial transactions illegally without an FIR. He also alleged that officers from the Thirumangalam police station have been harassing his friend, Gokul, who helped pick up his son. According to him, Gokul has been detained for three days without being produced before a magistrate. Sankar accused the police of coercing his friend to testify against him and threatening him with further consequences if he did not delete his social media posts.

In another allegation, Sankar stated that the police raided an Airbnb he was staying at and seized the phone of a caretaker he had paid via UPI. He claimed that law enforcement officials are preparing for a joint press conference with his wife to level further accusations against him.

Fearing Arrest, Techie Goes Into Hiding

Sankar stated that he fled with his son after police arrived at his hotel, fearing wrongful arrest. He also shared on social media that he had provided authorities with proof that his son was safe and “happy,” yet they continued to pursue him.

The tech entrepreneur further claimed that police officers demanded Rs 25 lakh in exchange for releasing Gokul from custody. “The Thirumangalam, Chennai police station is harassing me for money knowing that I’m a successful founder. The AC and the SI have asked me for Rs 25 lakh to release my friend. Please RT for support,” he wrote on X.

Wife’s Counterclaims and Police Response

Meanwhile, Dhivya alleged that Sankar forcibly took their son away and never returned him. She claimed that they are both US citizens and had recently returned to India, following which Sankar allegedly abducted the child. Local media reports also suggest that Dhivya has accused him of transferring their matrimonial assets to his father’s name to evade taxes. A senior Chennai police official has denied Sankar’s allegations, calling them “baseless”.

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