“Obtained through threats and trickery”; Delhi court orders Shikhar Dhawan's ex-wife to return ₹5.7 cr settlement

A Delhi family court has ruled in favour of former Indian cricketer Shikhar Dhawan, directing his ex-wife Aesha Mukerji to return ₹5.7 crore received under an Australian property settlement. The court declared the settlement documents null and void, citing extortion, threats and fraudulent conduct.

Judge Devender Kumar Garg of the Patiala House Court held that Dhawan had signed the agreements under coercion and trickery. The court also directed Mukerji to pay nine per cent annual interest on the amount from the date Dhawan filed the case. The court further restrained Mukerji from enforcing orders passed by an Australian court in February 2024, which had divided the couple’s global assets. It ruled that the Australian court lacked jurisdiction to adjudicate their marital disputes and found that the foreign orders violated Indian marriage laws.

The dispute stems from allegations by Dhawan that soon after their 2012 marriage, Mukerji threatened to damage his reputation and cricket career using fabricated material. A Delhi court had granted the couple a divorce in 2023, observing that Dhawan suffered mental trauma, including prolonged separation from his son. Custody was not granted, but visitation and video call rights were allowed.