Legal counsel representing Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu has sharply disputed the framing and claims made in a recent article published by The News Minute (TNM), accusing the outlet of omitting crucial facts and mischaracterising interim court proceedings in an ongoing divorce case in California.
According to Vembu’s counsel, the TNM article relies on a court order that was issued nearly a year ago on an emergency application filed by Vembu’s wife. The lawyer said the order was passed at a preliminary stage, when the defence had limited opportunity to respond to what he described as “outrageously false allegations.”
The counsel alleged that the California court was misled by the wife’s attorney, who, he claimed, is not licensed to practise law in California and entered the proceedings from New York despite there being no New York jurisdictional issues involved. This context, the lawyer said, was not disclosed or examined in TNM’s reporting.
Addressing allegations of asset concealment highlighted by TNM, Vembu’s counsel stated that the Zoho founder had offered his wife 50 per cent of his shares in ZCPL, an offer she has reportedly refused to accept. He further said that Vembu had already transferred his interest in the family home to his wife, facts which were either downplayed or ignored in the article.
“Despite these steps, she continues to claim that Sridhar is attempting to cheat her in the divorce,” the counsel said, adding that such allegations were illogical given that the wife could take possession of half the shares immediately if she chose to do so.
The much-publicised $1.7 billion bond order, which TNM foregrounded as a central element of its story, was described by the defence as legally unsustainable. Vembu’s counsel asserted that there is no legal authority for such an order and noted that a subsequent judge in the same case acknowledged that the amount appeared excessive.
According to the lawyer, Vembu attempted to comply to the extent possible by borrowing up to $150 million against his shares, representing the maximum liquidity available to him. The wife, however, allegedly refused to accept this amount. The counsel characterised the episode as a “waste of time” driven more by an attempt to disparage Vembu than to secure relief.
The defence also clarified that the divorce proceedings do not involve any claim for alimony or spousal support, contrary to impressions created by TNM’s narrative. “This has nothing to do with alimony,” the counsel said, noting that no such application has been filed.
Vembu’s lawyer further stated that his client remains in full compliance with all lawful orders issued by the California court. He said the $1.7 billion bond order is invalid, incapable of compliance, and currently under appeal, while the receivership order referenced in TNM’s article has been stayed by an appellate court.
Describing TNM’s article as “old news dressed up as an exclusive,” the counsel argued that the publication blurred the distinction between interim procedural orders and final judicial findings, creating a misleading impression of guilt and wrongdoing where none has been established.
“This case does not define Sridhar Vembu,” the lawyer said, adding that the proceedings reflect the actions of the wife and her New York-based attorney rather than any proven misconduct by the Zoho founder.
As Sridhar Vembu’s counsel, I can add some facts missing from the article. The order was made 1 year ago on an emergency application by his wife, meaning we had little time to response to the outrageously false allegations she made against Sridhar. The judge in California was…
— Christopher C. Melcher (@CA_Divorce) January 8, 2026
Read the full rejoinder against The News Minute’s Nakkheeran-style voyeuristic sleaze piece here.
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