Court orders Shikhar Dhawan's ex-wife to return Rs 5.7 cr, cites extortion and trickery

A Delhi family court has ordered former Indian cricketer Shikhar Dhawan's ex-wife, Aesha Mukerji, to return Rs 5.7 crore (AU$894,397) that she had received as part of a property settlement in Australia, ruling that the agreement was obtained through threats and fraud, according to Bar and Bench.

In a significant relief for Dhawan, the Patiala House family court held that the divorce settlement passed by the Australian court was invalid, observing that the marriage had been registered in India and that the Australian court did not have jurisdiction to adjudicate the dispute. The court also declared that Dhawan is not bound by any of the orders passed by the Australian court in the divorce proceedings.

Judge Devender Kumar Garg declared all property settlement documents null and void, noting that Dhawan had signed them under threat, extortion, trickery and fraudulent circumstances. The court further directed Mukerji to pay 9 per



cent annual interest on the amount from the date Dhawan filed the suit.

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 finances in India.

The Australian court had awarded Mukerji 15 per cent of the total asset pool. As part of the division, she retained Rs 7.46 crore (AU$1.17 million) in assets and was granted an additional Rs 15.95 crore (AU$2.5 million) from Dhawan, along with the transfer of a property.

Between 2021 and 2024, the Australian court passed multiple orders dividing the couple's properties. Dhawan challenged those decisions, arguing that they violated Indian marriage laws and asserting that he had filed an affidavit before the Australian court stating that he did not submit to its jurisdiction. He maintained that any interim settlement was agreed to under threat.