On Monday, the Chengalpattu Mahila Court put the high-profile matter to the side for now, with a short hearing that left some uncertainty in the air for the family and the administration. The court has adjourned the case to August 7th, and all eyes are on that day.
What changed in court today
They were both in front of the judge at the Chengalpattu Mahila Court by 10:30 am or so. In the end, there was no order of any consequence; the case was just put down for later.
You could call it a pattern of deferrals. It was on the docket back in April, then after neither side showed up, they were told to be there on June 15th.
Here is the run-down from the latest session:
– 10:30 am hearing
– Adjournment to August 7th
– No order made
Allegations at the centre of the dispute
It all goes back to a petition Sankgeetha put in this past February. She says Vijay has been involved with another woman, something she first found out about in 2021. Even after he gave her word to put an end to it, she says nothing really changed.
Her filing makes a point of the times he was seen in public with the other woman, and the pictures that have made a mockery of the family. She also says she has been cut off from what she was used to, with new limits on her money and where she can go.
She is asking for the marriage to be called off under the Special Marriage Act, saying she has been put through enough. Of course, these are unverified allegations as the case stands.
Residence plea underscores immediate needs
Back in March, Sankgeetha went to the Chengalpattu District Court for some interim help with where she lives. She wants the court to tell Vijay to let her stay on at the Neelankarai home until the divorce is done and dusted, or she is given something comparable.
In her words, she has no place of her own in Chennai and, as a British national in London, has been the one to see to the running of the house and the family’s well-being during their time together.
Politics, privacy, and a widening spotlight
Now the court dates are running up against a new kind of reality for Vijay. He has moved into the role of Chief Minister in earnest since his party, the TVK, made short work of the DMK and AIADMK in the Assembly polls. He was sworn in on May 10th.
But even with the demands of office, the couple-married for over two decades and with two kids-have kept to themselves. Lately, with all the filings and adjournments, that line is getting harder to hold.
Then there is the matter of his last film, Jana Nayagan. Word is it is with the censors, and some in the industry think a few of the scenes may have been read as having a political slant come election time.
Settlement talk and what to watch next
Lately you will hear here and there that the two sides may be in talks to make peace. Nothing is confirmed, and no one is putting any terms on the table in public.
So we head to August 7th. For now, the courts have the divorce and its disputes, as well as the push for a place to live. For the state’s top man and his family, the law is dictating the next move.
