In a significant development, Indian cricketer Shikhar Dhawan has been granted a divorce by a Delhi court on grounds of cruelty by his wife, Aesha Mukerji. The court's decision was based on allegations of mental agony inflicted on Dhawan by his wife, leading to their separation from their only son for an extended period. Dhawan is out of contention for a place in the Indian team across formats but led the Punjab Kings in IPL 2023.
Court Upholds Cricketer's Claims
Judge Harish Kumar, presiding over a family court in Delhi, accepted all the allegations made by Shikhar Dhawan in his divorce plea. Aesha Mukerji either did not contest these allegations or failed to provide a defense against them. The court, however, declined to make any immediate rulings regarding the permanent custody of the couple's son.
Visitation Rights Granted
While not addressing permanent custody, the court did grant Shikhar Dhawan visitation rights to spend time with his son in both India and Australia. Dhawan was also allowed the privilege of video calls to stay in touch with his child.
In its order, the court acknowledged Dhawan's status as a renowned international cricketer and urged him to approach the Union Government of India to facilitate regular visitation or communication with his son. The court observed that Dhawan had endured significant anguish and separation from his son due to circumstances beyond his control.
Wife's Unchallenged Testimony
Despite Aesha Mukerji's denial of the allegations, the court found in favour of Shikhar Dhawan. Mukerji had cited her commitment to her daughters from a previous marriage as the reason for her inability to live in India. While Dhawan was aware of this commitment, it was deemed that Mukerji had failed to uphold her assurance of establishing a matrimonial home in India after marriage. This resulted in a long-distance marriage that caused Dhawan considerable suffering and separation from his son.