Mother does not have sole custody of child: Delhi High Court rules in Shikhar Dhawan’s case

A Delhi Court has ruled that a mother alone does not possess exclusive rights over a child in a case involving cricketer Shikhar Dhawan and his estranged wife, Aesha Mukerji. The court has ordered Mukerji to bring their nine-year-old son to India for a family gathering, despite her objections. The family has been embroiled in legal proceedings in both India and Australia regarding divorce and child custody. Mukerji had objected to bringing their son to India for the family reunion scheduled for July 1, as many extended family members were not consulted about the new date. However, Justice Harish Kumar reprimanded her for objecting and found Dhawan’s desire for his parents and other family members to meet their grandson to be reasonable. The court clarified that Dhawan was not seeking permanent custody of the child in the current application but merely wanted to have the child in India for a few days at Mukerji’s expense. The court also noted that Mukerji’s concerns were not raised during the proceedings for permanent custody and that both parties were blaming each other for the litigation. The judge reiterated that the blame for polluting the environment within the family had to be shared by both parties.