Zoho Co-founder's Estranged Wife Approaches Madras High Court for Evidence Collection in California Divorce Case
In a significant legal development, Pramila Srinivasan, the estranged wife of Zoho Corporation co-founder Sridhar Vembu, has approached the Madras High Court seeking the appointment of a local commissioner. The commissioner's role would be to record and collect evidence and documents from witnesses located in Tamil Nadu. This request is directly connected to ongoing divorce proceedings that are currently pending before a California court in the United States.
Legal Proceedings and Court Hearing Details
When the plea came up for hearing before Justice P Dhanapal on Wednesday, counsel representing Pramila Srinivasan presented crucial details to the court. The application was filed based on a letter of rogatory (also known as a letter of request) that was officially issued by the Superior Court of California. This legal document was part of an order dated October 2, 2025.
The primary objective behind appointing a local commissioner is to facilitate the collection of evidence and relevant documents from witnesses who are currently residing in Tamil Nadu. Since these individuals fall under the jurisdictional authority of the Madras High Court, the evidence gathered through this process would be systematically forwarded to the California court for further legal consideration.
Legal Framework and Procedural Aspects
The counsel further elaborated that this legal action is being pursued in accordance with Order 22 Rule 9 of the Civil Procedure Code (CPC). This specific provision empowers the high court to issue a commission for examining witnesses within its territorial jurisdiction. Such authority can be exercised upon receiving a formal request from a foreign court, establishing a clear legal pathway for international judicial cooperation.
"The standard procedure involves the foreign court issuing a letter of request. Based on this document, our court will appoint a commissioner who will be responsible for recording evidence, obtaining necessary documents, and subsequently transmitting them to the foreign court," the counsel explained during the proceedings.
During the hearing, the court raised an important procedural question regarding whether the high court should issue directions to jurisdictional civil courts for commissioner appointment. In response, the counsel clarified that "the usual practice followed is that the high court will pass an order appointing either an advocate or a judge as commissioner."
Mutual Consent and Party Involvement
The counsel provided additional context by revealing that, according to the order passed by the California court, both parties involved in the litigation are expected to move applications for the appointment of a local commissioner. While Pramila Srinivasan has already initiated this application process, the opposing party is also anticipated to file a similar application. This would enable them to record statements from their own witnesses located in Tamil Nadu.
Importantly, this application was filed based on mutual consent of the parties that was formally recorded before the California court. This indicates a cooperative approach between the estranged spouses in handling the evidentiary aspects of their divorce proceedings.
Court Directions and Respondent Notices
After carefully recording all submissions presented during the hearing, Justice P Dhanapal issued specific directions regarding the case. The court has ordered several key individuals and entities to file their responses to the application by February 25. The list of respondents includes:
- Sridhar Vembu (petitioner's husband and Zoho co-founder)
- Radha Vembu (sibling)
- Sekar Vembu (sibling)
- Kumar Vembu (sibling)
- Zoho Corporation Private Limited
- Five other relevant parties
Background of the High-Profile Divorce Case
This legal development follows significant previous rulings in the ongoing divorce proceedings. In 2025, the California court had directed Sridhar Vembu to pay a substantial $1.7 billion bond as part of the divorce case requirements. The marital history reveals that Sridhar Vembu married Pramila Srinivasan in 1993, and the couple lived together in the United States for many years before Sridhar returned to India in 2019.
The divorce proceedings were formally initiated when Sridhar Vembu filed for divorce from his estranged wife in 2021. At the core of this complex divorce case are the community assets that are legally defined as assets acquired during the period of marriage. The substantial financial implications and international jurisdictional aspects have made this one of the most closely watched corporate divorce cases in recent Indian legal history.
