Manager Shashi Sinha confirms the actor's wife has taken back her petition, ending nearly two years of legal proceedings and public speculation.
Sunita Ahuja, wife of veteran Bollywood actor Govinda, has formally withdrawn the divorce petition she filed against him, according to a confirmation from the actor's long-time manager, Shashi Sinha. The development occurred on August 19, 2026, when Sunita submitted a withdrawal application at the Bandra Family Court in Mumbai, where she was seen accompanied by her son, Yashvardhan Ahuja. Sinha subsequently told multiple media outlets, including Hindustan Times, NDTV and India Today, that there is now "no separation" between the couple, effectively closing a legal chapter that had generated months of speculation about the state of their nearly four-decade-long marriage.
The withdrawal brings to an end a case that had been active since December 2024, when Sunita first filed for divorce citing serious grounds. Sinha, speaking to ANI and Rediff, noted that the matter had been ongoing for roughly two years before its resolution this week.
How the Original Divorce Petition Was Filed
Multiple reports establish that Sunita filed for divorce on December 5, 2024, at the Bandra Family Court under the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955. The petition invoked Section 13(1), citing grounds of adultery, cruelty and desertion. The filing was significant not only because of the seriousness of the allegations but also because it involved a marriage that had lasted nearly 40 years, placing a long-running Bollywood partnership under intense public scrutiny.
Throughout much of 2025, Govinda's camp offered a markedly different account of events. His lawyer, Lalit Bindra, dismissed circulating reports as recycled from months earlier, telling NDTV in August 2025, "Koi case nahi sab settle ho raha hai, ye sab log purani cheezen utha ke daal rahe hain" — meaning there was no active case and that people were simply reviving old matters. Around the same period, Sinha described the situation as "old issues" that were being resolved within the family, even suggesting the couple would celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi together.
The Withdrawal at Bandra Family Court
The narrative shifted decisively on August 19, 2026, when Sunita appeared at the Bandra Family Court and filed a formal petition to withdraw her divorce case. Shashi Sinha, confirming the move to SCREEN and other outlets, described it as unambiguously positive: "Sunita ji has withdrawn the divorce case against Govinda; there is no separation. Whatever she said, she felt that way at the time and has now taken the case back. It is happy news, and I like what she has done."
Sinha also expressed discomfort at how public the family's private matters had become, adding, "My only regret is that the matter became very public, but these things happen." In a separate conversation with Hindustan Times' HT City, he was more direct in urging calm around the story, saying in Hindi, "Sab log darr kyu rahe hai. Sunita ji ne apna case wapas liya hai. Yeh toh khush hone ki baat hai," which translates to a rhetorical question about why people were alarmed, followed by an insistence that the withdrawal was cause for happiness rather than concern.
Speaking to India Today, Sinha offered further detail on the sequence of events, noting that after the original filing, "no further action was taken on it" before Sunita ultimately moved to legally take back the case. He also told ANI that Govinda had remained "neutral" throughout the two-year dispute and continued to hold that position even after the withdrawal was finalized.
Family Dynamics and the Couple's Children
Sinha's comments extended beyond the legal mechanics of the case to touch on the family's broader stance. He indicated that neither Govinda, Sunita, nor their children had wanted the marriage to end, suggesting the divorce filing did not reflect a shared family position. When asked whether the couple's children had played a role in persuading Sunita to withdraw the petition, Sinha declined to give a direct answer but reiterated that no one in the family wanted a divorce.
Yashvardhan Ahuja's presence alongside his mother at the family court on the day of withdrawal was noted by several outlets, including ETV Bharat and India Today, though no direct statement from him has been reported. The couple's daughter, Tina Ahuja, was referenced in earlier 2025 coverage regarding the family's focus on the children's careers, though she was not reported to be present at the court appearance.
A Two-Year Saga Marked by Contradictory Signals
The case's resolution caps a period defined by inconsistent messaging from Govinda's team. While the December 2024 petition alleging adultery, cruelty and desertion was confirmed by multiple outlets, statements from both Sinha and lawyer Lalit Bindra throughout 2025 alternated between acknowledging the filing and downplaying its significance as settled or outdated news.
Sinha, reflecting on the extensive media coverage the dispute attracted, questioned the scale of public attention the matter received, telling NDTV he wondered about the "tamasha" surrounding what he characterized as a family matter. Moneycontrol and other outlets have since published detailed timelines charting the case from its December 2024 origin to its August 2026 withdrawal, underscoring how long the dispute remained in public view. As of now, no fresh legal action has been reported by either party, and the divorce case stands closed at the Bandra Family Court.
