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In a massive legal victory for Indian cricketer Shikhar Dhawan, a Family Court in Delhi has ordered his ex-wife, Aesha Mukerji, to return approximately Rs 5.72 crore. The ruling comes as a major relief for the veteran opener, who has been embroiled in a bitter legal battle since his divorce in 2023.
The ‘Alien’ Property Settlement Dispute
The core of the dispute lay in a previous order passed by a Family Court in Australia. Aesha Mukerji, an Australian national, had approached the Australian judiciary seeking a “Property Settlement,” a legal concept that requires the distribution of matrimonial assets between spouses. Following those proceedings, Dhawan was asked to transfer a substantial sum, Rs 5.72 crore, to his estranged wife.
However, the Delhi Family Court challenged the validity of this Australian order on Indian soil. The judge noted that the concept of “Property Settlement” as defined in Australia is “alien to the Indian legal system.” Under Indian matrimonial laws, particularly the Hindu Marriage Act, there is no direct equivalent that mandates such a specific transfer of property or funds in the manner ordered by the Australian court. Consequently, the Delhi court held the Australian ruling as “unsustainable” and directed Mukerji to refund the entire amount to Dhawan.
Mental Cruelty and A New Chapter
This financial recovery follows a 2023 judgment where the same court granted Dhawan a divorce on the grounds of “mental cruelty.” The court had previously acknowledged that Mukerji had subjected the cricketer to significant agony, including keeping him away from his young son, Zoravar, for extended periods.
While the legal battle over financial assets has swung in Dhawan’s favor, the cricketer has also made headlines for his personal life. Just days ago, on February 21, 2026, Dhawan tied the knot with his longtime girlfriend, Sophie Shine, in an intimate ceremony in Delhi. Despite the happy news, Dhawan recently took to social media to slam “clickbait” fake quotes attributed to his ex-wife regarding his remarriage, urging fans to focus on positivity. With this latest court order, Dhawan appears to be closing a tumultuous financial chapter as he begins his new life with Shine.
