Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay’s wife, Sangeetha, withdrew the divorce petition she had filed before the Family Court in Chengalpattu on Friday, bringing the legal proceedings to an end.
Appearing via video conference, Sangeetha informed the court that she did not wish to pursue the case. After recording her reasons, the court disposed of the petition as withdrawn, according to official court sources.
Judge Sujatha reportedly interacted with Sangeetha for around 15 minutes before accepting the withdrawal and formally closing the proceedings.
Divorce petition alleged infidelity and mental cruelty
Sangeetha had filed the divorce petition in February 2026 under the Special Marriage Act, 1954, alleging that Vijay had been involved in an extramarital relationship with an actress.
The petition accused the Chief Minister of “persistent mental cruelty, neglect and desertion”, claiming he had emotionally withdrawn from the marriage since 2021, treated her with verbal disdain and subjected her to “constructive desertion”, forcing her to live separately within the matrimonial home.
Sangeetha said she became aware of the alleged relationship in April 2021 and claimed it caused her severe emotional distress and amounted to a betrayal of marital trust. She further alleged that Vijay continued the association despite her objections, causing embarrassment to their children and deepening her emotional suffering.
The petition had also stated that the marriage had broken down irretrievably. Sangeetha said she was prepared to implead the actress as the second respondent if required.
Marriage dates back to 1998
According to the petition, Vijay and Sangeetha first registered their marriage in the United Kingdom on July 10, 1998. A ceremonial Hindu wedding was held in Chennai on August 25, 1999.
The couple first met in 1996. Sangeetha, a Sri Lankan national who was raised in Britain, and Vijay have two children — son Jason and daughter Dhivya.
Political backdrop
The divorce proceedings had attracted political and legal attention during the Tamil Nadu Assembly election campaign.
The matter also coincided with a petition before the Madras High Court seeking an inquiry into Vijay’s election affidavit, in which he disclosed lending ₹12.60 crore to Sangeetha.
The petitioner, Venkatesh, a voter from Perambur constituency, questioned the declaration in light of the pending divorce proceedings and also raised concerns over the disclosure of ₹20 crore provided to a private educational trust.
The Madras High Court dismissed the petition in April, observing that another petition seeking identical relief had already been rejected.
