Court Directs Shikhar Dhawan’s Ex-Wife to Return Rs 5.7 Crore, Cites Extortion and Deception

Delhi Court Orders Shikhar Dhawan’s Ex-Wife to Return Rs 5.7 Crore, Sets Aside Australian Settlement

A Delhi family court has directed former Indian cricketer Shikhar Dhawan’s ex-wife, Aesha Mukerji, to return Rs 5.7 crore (AU$894,397) received under a property settlement passed by an Australian court, holding that the agreement was secured through coercion, fraud and misrepresentation.

The Patiala House Family Court ruled that the Australian court lacked jurisdiction to adjudicate the dispute, as the marriage was solemnised and registered in India under Indian law. The court declared that Dhawan is not bound by any of the orders issued by the Australian court in the divorce proceedings.

Judge Devender Kumar Garg set aside all property settlement documents as null and void, observing that Dhawan had signed them under threat, extortion and fraudulent circumstances. Mukerji has also been directed to pay 9 per cent annual interest on the amount from the date Dhawan filed the suit.

Australian Orders Overturned

The Delhi court restrained Mukerji from enforcing the February 2024 orders of the Australian court, which had divided the couple’s global assets, including Dhawan’s properties and financial holdings in India.

Under the Australian ruling, Mukerji had been awarded 15 per cent of the total asset pool. She retained assets worth Rs 7.46 crore (AU$1.17 million) and was granted an additional Rs 15.95 crore (AU$2.5 million), along with transfer of a property.

Between 2021 and 2024, multiple orders were passed by the Australian court dividing the couple’s properties. Dhawan challenged those decisions, arguing that they violated Indian matrimonial law and asserting that he had expressly stated before the Australian court that he did not submit to its jurisdiction. He maintained that any interim settlement was agreed to under duress.

Allegations of Coercion

Dhawan told the Delhi court that soon after their 2012 marriage, Mukerji allegedly threatened to circulate defamatory material that could damage his reputation and cricket career unless he met her financial demands.

He claimed that although he purchased several properties using his own funds, he was compelled to register them jointly or predominantly in her name. In one instance, Mukerji was shown as a 99 per cent owner of a property acquired by Dhawan.

He further alleged that she pressured him into purchasing property in Australia in her name, which was later sold in 2019, with the proceeds retained by her as part of what was described as an “interim settlement” before the Australian court.

After examining the evidence, the court accepted Dhawan’s contention that his participation in the Australian proceedings was not voluntary but carried out under fear and coercion. It held that such participation could not be treated as submission to that court’s jurisdiction.

The judgment was passed ex parte, as Mukerji did not appear before the Delhi court despite multiple summons. The court noted that she did not contest the claims made by Dhawan.

On the applicability of foreign law, the court observed that Australia’s Family Law Act, 1975 could not override Indian statutes, including the Hindu Marriage Act and other relevant laws, as the marriage was solemnised and registered in India. It further held that enforcing the Australian framework would be contrary to Indian public policy.

Divorce and Custody

In 2023, a Delhi court granted the couple a divorce, observing that Dhawan had suffered mental distress after being separated from his son, Zoravar, for an extended period. While permanent custody was not granted to Dhawan, he was given visitation rights and access to video calls in both India and Australia, where Mukerji resides.

Dhawan later stated that he was blocked from communicating with his son.

The couple married in Delhi in 2012. Mukerji, who was based in Australia at the time and had two children from a previous marriage, continued to reside there after the wedding. Their son was born in 2013. Marital disputes arose soon after, leading to prolonged litigation in both India and Australia.

Dhawan entered his second marriage with Sophie Shine in a private ceremony on February 22, 2025.