In a major development, Sangeetha, wife of actor-turned-politician and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay, has withdrawn the divorce petition and residency rights plea filed against him before the Chengalpattu District Family Court.
The couple had reportedly been living separately for some time due to personal differences. In December last year, Sangeetha had approached the family court seeking dissolution of marriage and residency rights.
The matter had come up for hearing on three earlier occasions. Considering the high-profile nature of the case and security concerns, the court had allowed both Vijay and Sangeetha to appear through video conferencing instead of being physically present.
When the case was taken up on Friday, Vijay’s counsel sought an adjournment citing his involvement in the ongoing Tamil Nadu Assembly session. However, Sangeetha’s legal team requested that the hearing proceed as scheduled.
After hearing arguments from both sides, the court deferred the matter to the post-lunch session. During the afternoon hearing, Sangeetha appeared before Family Court Judge Sujatha through video conference and made submissions for over 15 minutes.
Following her statement, the court accepted her request to withdraw both the divorce petition and the residency rights plea. With the withdrawal, the legal proceedings initiated by Sangeetha against Vijay have come to an end.
Court sources said the case has been closed after Sangeetha voluntarily withdrew her petitions. Neither Vijay nor Sangeetha has issued any public statement regarding the reason behind the decision.
Vijay and Sangeetha have been together for nearly three decades. The couple married in an interfaith ceremony on August 25, 1999, in Chennai. They have two children — a son born in 2000 and a daughter born in 2005.