Rippling Co-founder Prasanna moves Madras HC, accuses police of harassment and unlawful arrest of friend Gokul S

Prasanna Sankar, the co-founder of Rippling, has moved the Madras High Court alleging that police have been harassing him at the behest of his estranged wife, Dhivya Sashidhar. Prasanna has also alleged that his friend Gokul S was detained in Bengaluru without an FIR, and was told the latter would be released only if the Rippling co-founder reached the premises with his son.

A highly publicised legal battle has unfolded between Prasanna Sankar, co-founder of the tech company Rippling, and his estranged wife, Dhivya Sashidhar. The dispute centers around allegations of police harassment and a contentious custody battle over their nine-year-old son.

Prasanna Sankar Alleges Police Harassment

Prasanna Sankar has accused his wife, Dhivya Sashidhar, of instigating police harassment by filing false complaints against him. He claims that these actions are part of a broader strategy to abduct their son and take him out of the country. According to his allegations, the police have been continuously attempting to locate him and seize their child, despite a court order directing them not to harass him.

Prasanna Sankar's plea to the Madras high Court details several instances of alleged police misconduct

On March 7, police attempted to enter his hotel room to take away the child, but he had already left.

Between March 12 and March 21, police visited his mother and friend, Gokul S, in attempts to trace the Rippling co-founder's whereabouts. Gokul was arrested in Bengaluru and detained for three days without an FIR, allegedly under the condition that he would be released only if Prasanna Sankar appeared at the police station with their son.

Background of the Dispute

The couple's marital disputes began after Prasanna Sankar discovered evidence of his wife's alleged extramarital affair. He claims that she then demanded a substantial divorce settlement, which led to a series of legal battles.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed in February, stipulating mutual consent divorce and joint custody of their nine-year old son.

However, Prasanna Sankar alleges that his wife, Dhivya Sashidhar, violated this agreement by refusing to deposit their child's travel documents in a joint locker and by filing a false kidnapping complaint against him.

Counterclaims by Dhivya Sashidhar

Dhivya Sashidhar has refuted her husband's allegations, stating that she filed the kidnapping complaint to locate their son. She claims that she was coerced into signing the MoU and that their son was forcibly taken from her by Prasanna Sankar's friend, Gokul S.

Additionally, she alleges that she and her son were brought to India under false pretenses, citing a property dispute, and that Prasanna Sankar has a history of criminal behavior.

Legal Proceedings

The Madras High Court has intervened in the matter, with Justice GK Ilanthiraiyan directing the police not to harass Rippling co-founder Prasanna Sankar.