Indian cricketer Shikhar Dhawan given divorce on grounds of cruelty inflicted by wife

On Wednesday, a Delhi court granted Indian cricketer Shikhar Dhawan divorce from his wife Aesha Dhawan, on grounds of cruelty inflicted by his spouse. The couple married in 2012, and share a 10-year-old son.

According to NDTV, the family court judge accepted Mr Dhawan’s accusations of “mental torture'” inflicted by his wife, who was unable to prove the allegations to be false. The petition details multiple instances where Dhawan was exploited, put in mental agony after being refused to visit his son.

The petition said that the wife had promised to move to India to help with Dhawan’s career after he was unable to move to Australia. However, it reveals Aesha backtracked and refused to move back, claiming she would be forced to give up custody of her children.

“He (Dhawan) for no fault of his own had been through immense agony and anguish of living separately from his own son for years. Even though the wife denied the allegation, submitting that though she genuinely wanted to live in India with him, yet she did not choose to contest the claim. The respondent, by conducting herself in the manner, has inflicted such cruelty, agony and trauma on him, that it was impossible for the petitioner to save the marriage,” the statement from court said.

The next example given in the petition recalls how Aesha forced the cricketer to make her to owner of the three properties he bought in Australia, and had complete ownership of one home while joint custody on the other two. She did not provide her own funds to contribute in the purchase, forcing Dhawan to pay child support not only for their son, but also for two daughters from the wife’s first marriage for whom she was already receiving payments from her first husband.

“The respondent was required to prove that properties were purchased out of her fund as well or her name was included out of love and affection. Thus, Dhawan’s allegation that she compelled him to make her owner to some extent in all three properties or that she pocketed sale proceeds thereof has got to be believed as true,” it added.

The court granted mandatory visitation rights to Dhawan to meet his son in India and Australia, and demanded Aesha to bring their child back to the country.