Chennai’s Techie Allegedly Harassed by Wife, Police, But By Wife, He Also Is ‘Sex Predator’: The Controversy Explained

Prasanna Sankar, a Chennai’s techie entrepreneur and co-founder of the billion-dollar HR tech firm Rippling, has levelled harassment allegations against his estranged wife Dhivya and the Chennai police. The explosive case has unfolded amid a bitter divorce and child custody fight over their nine-year-old child. This case, fraught with accusations, counter-accusations and drama in public view, has divided much of society, casting a spotlight on issues such as custody battles, police misconduct and the influence of gender dynamics in high-profile legal conflicts. Let’s untangle the intertwined saga, look at both sides of the story and make sense of the broader implications.

The Back Story: Chennai’s techie & Dhivya

Chennai’s techie, Prasanna Sankar, who launched HR tech company Rippling, which currently has a valuation over $10 billion, to global fame. Sankar was a top coder from NIT Trichy prior to his entrepreneurial success and had a wonderful career before that. But his personal life hit rock bottom when he learned that his wife, Dhivya had an extra-marital affair with a man called Anoop for six months. Sankar says that the revelation of this infidelity was the final straw for their marriage.

The couple, who had been married for more than a decade and had a son together, started the painful process of divorce. As their proceedings played out, Sankar claims that Dhivya asked for an expensive divorce. When these negotiations broke down, he alleges, she made “false police complaints” in which she accused him of domestic violence and child abduction. Sankar(Chennai’s techie)has countered by accusing Dhivya of being a “sex predator,” as well as alleging financial mismanagement and abusive conduct on his part.

Chennai’s techie Prasanna Sankar Allegation of Wife and Police Harassment

Found himself on the news as Sankar posted on social media platform X: wrote about his side, grievances and accusations on March 23, 2025. After Dhivya allegedly “abducted” their son to the United States, he filed a case for international child abduction, Sankar said. When Dhivya came back to Chennai, allegedly pretending to solve a property problem, Sankar says he coordinated for a friend Gokul (alias Gokula Krishnan) to pick up the child with her consent on 3/3/2025. But on March 9, Dhivya lodged a complaint with the Thirumangalam police station in Chennai saying that she was unable to find her child and Gokul had kidnapped her.

According to Chennai’s techie, the Chennai police extorted him using this complaint, he a Rs 25 lakh payoff to close the case. He also claims that police used to ask Rs 2 lakh from his lawyer and the demand was later increased. Sankar also alleges that police arrested Gokul without a warrant and detained him for three days without registering an FIR or producing him before a magistrate. The police then resorted to pressure tactics, Sankar says, threatening to keep hounding him until Gokul — about whom police had gained knowledge only when a harassment complaint against him was filed — revealed his location. Fearing the risk of wrongful arrest, Sankar fled with his son, a move that fueled his legal woes and intense public attention in connection to the case.

By the way, Sankar has also alleged that Dhivya and the Chennai police are going to hold a joint press conference and try to tarnish his image further. He is pledging to pursue a legal petition to protect himself from what he describes as continued harassment, casting his experience as a cautionary tale about how powerful, public people can be drawn into personal conflicts.

Dhivya’s Counterclaims: A “Sex Predator” and Financial Misconduct

Not one to let sleeping dogs lie, Dhivya has responded back with explosive allegations of her own against Sankar. She claims that Sankar tricked her into moving to India and that Gokul physically removed their child from her custodial care and since that time, she has not spoken to or seen her child. She alleges that Sankar’s actions were part of a planned, fraudulent scheme to abduct their son.

The most serious of Dhivya’s allegations is that Sankar is a “sexual predator” who secretly filmed women, including her, and sexually assaulted her. She says he was arrested for similar behavior in Singapore at one point but was released — something Sankar denies, saying the Singapore police investigated the matter and found no evidence of wrongdoing.

Furthermore, Dhivya alleges financial impropriety on the part of Sankar, whom she accuses of transferring their matrimonial assets in his father’s name to evade taxes and shifting them to his brother’s account in Thailand. She also claims that Sankar had her sign documents that barred her from reporting the allegations to authorities in the United States.

Sankar’s claims, Dhivya paints herself as a victim who is struggling to protect her child and reclaim her honour. She has redrawn the contours of her story, portraying herself as a mother who was keeping her child safe from an abusive husband, while Sankar has portrayed her as a manipulative wife seeking revenge and a financial settlement.

Chennai Police: Call It Extortion, Yes; Enforcement, Maybe

At center of the storm is the Chennai police, particularly those attached to the Thirumangalam station. Sankar’s allegations that the force had extorted money from him and illegally detained him have cast serious also serious doubts on the credibility of the force. On social media platforms, terms like “police harassment” and “corruption” have gained ground as Sankar alleges that police officers stormed his hotel and coerced him to relinquish information about his son’s whereabouts. While Dhivya stands firm, claiming that the police are only doing their job in helping her bring back her son, she has not backed down from the validity of her kidnapping complaint.

The police has refused to release any details of the FIR or name the victim in its official statements, further fueling speculation among the public. Some consider Sankar a victim of a corrupt system, while others contend Dhivya’s allegations are a valid attempt to protect her child. The public’s response is sharply split over issues of police accountability, corruption and their role in domestic spats.

Social media response #ChennaiTechieDrama 

The issue went viral on platforms including X, where posts from accounts like @myprasanna (which is thought to be Sankar’s) received widespread attention. Sankar’s supporters have mobilized around hashtags such as #JusticeForPrasanna and #StopPoliceHarassment, while Dhivya’s allies have reiterated accusations of “sex predator” and “abusive husband.” The case has sparked heated debate — and opinions have poured in from all sides.

The split public reaction highlights wider societal divisions over gender equality, power dynamics, and justice in domestic disputes. Some contended that Sankar’s wealth and status put him in the crosshairs as a target of abuse, while others pointed out the need to take women’s allegations seriously, particularly in the case of abusive marriages.

Related Narrative: Custody Battles, Gender Relations, and Police Accountability

This case strikes at all system issues apart from the personal tussle between Sankar and Dhivya. Battles over international child custody — especially when abduction is alleged — can be notoriously complicated with a host of legal hurdles. The Helper’s claim of child abduction and Dhivya’s complaint about kidnapping illustrate the challenges of navigating such disputes in an increasingly global economy.

Plus, the gender dynamics at work are important. Sankar’s bitching about himself as a beleaguered father overturns the usual narratives of men as aggressors in domestic knuckledusters. And Dhivya’s allegations of sexual predation and financial abuse tug at wider fears of power imbalances in marriage. The truth probably lies somewhere in between, but the polarized reactions of the public reveal some deep-seated biases.

Ultimately: The Drama Unfolds

You are still on October 2023 data at this time, the Prasanna Sankar(Chennai’s techie) and Dhivya case is not yet closed, it all may have to come out through legal proceedings. But the drama, which the entertainment industry has embraced with enthusiasm, has already sharpened a series of cutting questions about police accountability, gender dynamics and the perils of navigating public family disputes.

As this situation develops, many eyes will be on the Chennai police, to see how they handle police response; in the courts, as judges rule on cases; and on whether the allegations against Sankar and Dhivya are proven to contain grains of truth. Meanwhile, public opinion is split, with some demanding justice for Sankar and others rallying behind Dhivya.

What say you, this case that explodes with thought? So what, Team Prasanna or Team Dhivya? Or do you think all parties deserve a closer look? Tell us in the comments, and join the conversation on X with #ChennaiTechieDrama. Stay updated, follow us and subscribe to Our Newsletter.