New Delhi: Indian cricketer Shikhar Dhawan was granted a divorce by a local court in Delhi on Wednesday, citing mental cruelty as the reason for the dissolution of his marriage to Aesha Mukerji. The judge presiding over the case, Harish Kumar, accepted all the allegations made by Dhawan in his divorce petition against his estranged wife.
According to reports from Bar and Bench, Judge Harish Kumar upheld the allegations presented by Dhawan on the basis that Mukerji either did not contest them or failed to provide a defense. The court found that Mukerji had inflicted mental anguish on Dhawan by compelling him to live separately from their son for an extended period.
However, the court did not issue a verdict on permanent custody of the child. Instead, it granted Dhawan the right to visit his son for a specified duration, including overnight stays with the child and other family members, both in India and Australia. Dhawan was also permitted to engage in video calls with his son.
Additionally, the court directed Mukerji to bring the child to India for visitation purposes for at least half of the school vacation period.
Dhawan’s divorce petition stated that Mukerji had initially assured him that she would reside with him in India. However, she failed to do so due to her commitments to her ex-husband and their two daughters.
The court also considered Dhawan’s claim that Mukerji had pressured him into making her the 99% owner of three properties in Australia, which were purchased using the cricketer’s funds. She also allegedly coerced him into becoming a joint owner of other properties.
In the face of these allegations, the court found that Mukerji had not contested Dhawan’s claims or provided counterarguments, leading to the acceptance of Dhawan’s version of events.
The divorce proceedings bring to an end the marital relationship between Shikhar Dhawan and Aesha Mukerji. Dhawan is a prominent figure in Indian cricket, known for his dynamic batting and contributions to the national team.
