Madras High Court Seeks Sridhar Vembu's Response In Three Weeks In Divorce Case

Chennai: The Madras High Court ordered Zoho Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Sridhar Vembu and others to respond within three weeks, as the divorce case has been pending for a long time.

In the petition filed by his wife, Pramila Srinivasan in the Madras High Court, she said, "I married Sridhar Vembu in 1993. We lived happily in California for about 30 years."

After Sridhar Vembu returned to India in 2019, she filed a divorce case in a California court in 2021. "Sridhar Vembu has abandoned me and my son (Specially abled person) and gone to India," the plea contended.

"In the divorce case pending in the California court, the court has separately heard the documents and testimonies of 10 people, including Sridhar Vembu in Tamil Nadu and Zoho company official Radha Vembu. Therefore, the retired High Court judge or a prosecutor should be appointed," the plea stated.

The case came up for hearing again today before Justice AD Maria Kladi. The judge who heard the case then asked, "Who ordered the registration of documents in the Chengalpattu and Chennai District Courts? Why is this case pending in the Madras High Court? Who filed the petition for an investigation?"

Primila Srinivasan's defence lawyer asked a series of questions. Her lawyer said, "Since Pramila, who lives in the US, cannot directly collect documents from witnesses in Tamil Nadu, this case was filed to order them to be collected through the Commissioner. This case is a part of the California court hearing regarding the divorce, and is no different."

"When the divorce case was filed in 2025, a petition was filed with the Central Law and Justice Department. Accepting the request, the Centre ordered the High Court Registry Department to conduct an investigation of Sridhar Vembu and his sister and three others. Accordingly, the Registry Department has instructed the Chengalpattu Court and the Chennai District Court to collect documents from Sridhar Vembu and his sister and three others. It was reported that Sridhar Vembu has not responded even after appearing for interrogation twice so far," the lawyer said.

A lawyer representing Sridhar Vembu said, "The case will be heard in the Chengalpattu court on March 27, 2026. Except for three people, others have no connection with the divorce case. Action can only be taken through the Central Law and Justice Department to collect documents. The court cannot order this."

After hearing the arguments of both sides, the judge ordered, "The divorce case has been pending for a long time. Therefore, Sridhar Vembu and others must respond within 3 weeks." He adjourned the hearing to April 1, 2026.