Prasanna Sankar, co-founder of HR tech start-up Rippling, has accused the Chennai Police of harassment and an extortion demand of Rs 25 lakh in connection with a complaint filed by his estranged wife.Taking to social media, Prasanna claimed that the Assistant Commissioner of Thirumangalam Range and a Sub-Inspector from the Thirumangalam police station pressured him for money while investigating a ‘kidnap’ complaint by his wife.
Prasanna explained that he and his wife were in the process of divorce and had been sharing custody of their son. He alleged that his wife handed over their child willingly to his friend Gokul, who then brought the child to him. However, his wife later filed a false kidnapping complaint, claiming Prasanna might harm the boy.
According to him, his lawyer paid Rs 2 lakh to the police to manage the situation, but once the officers realized he was wealthy, they demanded Rs 25 lakh to release his friend. Gokul was eventually let go on Sunday afternoon.
A senior police officer dismissed Prasanna’s claims, stating that they were simply investigating a complaint by the woman. She alleged that her nine-year-old son, a US citizen, was taken away by Gokul and had not been returned to her.
Meanwhile, Prasanna shared a video with his son, claiming the child was safe and happy with him. He also alleged that the Chennai Police had illegally detained Gokul and pressured him for information about Prasanna’s whereabouts.