The Supreme Court on Thursday referred the high-profile dispute over late industrialist Sunjay Kapur’s family trust and estate to mediation, directing his mother Rani Kapur, wife Priya Kapur and other parties — including the interests of his children from his earlier marriage with actor Karisma Kapoor — to attempt an amicable settlement under the supervision of former Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud.
A bench of the apex court passed the direction after all parties agreed to mediation, a proposal first suggested during the previous hearing on April 27. The court appointed former CJI DY Chandrachud as mediator and observed that all stakeholders should participate in the process with an open mind. The matter is now scheduled for hearing in the first week of August.
During the hearing, senior advocate Shyam Divan, appearing for Rani Kapur, informed the court that she wished to stay in her matrimonial home in Delhi. He said she is currently living in Mumbai with her daughter and added that the Delhi bungalow is held in the name of a company.
The dispute centres around the estate of businessman Sunjay Kapur, estimated to be worth nearly Rs 30,000 crore, and an alleged Will that purportedly leaves his entire personal estate to his wife Priya Kapur. The Will has been challenged by Kapur’s children Samaira Kapur and Kiaan Raj Kapur, as well as by his mother Rani Kapur.
The development comes a week after the Delhi High Court observed that “legitimate suspicions” surrounding the alleged Will would have to be dispelled before it could be accepted as Kapur’s final testament. Passing an interim order, Justice Jyoti Singh said Priya Kapur, as the propounder of the Will and its principal beneficiary, would have to remove all doubts raised by the challengers during trial.
Pending adjudication of the dispute, the High Court ordered several interim measures to preserve the estate. Priya Kapur was restrained from alienating or altering the shareholding of Indian companies linked to the estate and barred from withdrawing provident fund amounts or dealing with personal effects, including artworks. The court also stayed the operation of foreign bank accounts and cryptocurrency holdings associated with the deceased, while clarifying that immovable properties held abroad were outside the scope of the interim directions.
During arguments before the High Court, counsel representing Samaira and Kiaan questioned the authenticity of the Will, citing alleged inconsistencies including the use of feminine pronouns for the testator, lack of registration and doubts over the origin of the document. They also argued that the circumstances required heightened scrutiny because Priya Kapur was both the propounder and sole beneficiary.
Priya Kapur, however, denied allegations of concealment or diversion of assets and maintained that all disclosures had been made before the court. Her counsel argued that the format of the disputed Will was consistent with a Will executed by Rani Kapur in 2024 and rejected allegations relating to undisclosed valuables and accounts.
Rani Kapur has separately challenged the Will, claiming she was never informed about its existence and was not acknowledged in it. She also alleged that Priya Kapur moved quickly after Sunjay Kapur’s death to consolidate control over the estate and failed to fully disclose several valuable assets before the court.
A bench of the apex court passed the direction after all parties agreed to mediation, a proposal first suggested during the previous hearing on April 27. The court appointed former CJI DY Chandrachud as mediator and observed that all stakeholders should participate in the process with an open mind. The matter is now scheduled for hearing in the first week of August.
During the hearing, senior advocate Shyam Divan, appearing for Rani Kapur, informed the court that she wished to stay in her matrimonial home in Delhi. He said she is currently living in Mumbai with her daughter and added that the Delhi bungalow is held in the name of a company.
The dispute centres around the estate of businessman Sunjay Kapur, estimated to be worth nearly Rs 30,000 crore, and an alleged Will that purportedly leaves his entire personal estate to his wife Priya Kapur. The Will has been challenged by Kapur’s children Samaira Kapur and Kiaan Raj Kapur, as well as by his mother Rani Kapur.
The development comes a week after the Delhi High Court observed that “legitimate suspicions” surrounding the alleged Will would have to be dispelled before it could be accepted as Kapur’s final testament. Passing an interim order, Justice Jyoti Singh said Priya Kapur, as the propounder of the Will and its principal beneficiary, would have to remove all doubts raised by the challengers during trial.
Pending adjudication of the dispute, the High Court ordered several interim measures to preserve the estate. Priya Kapur was restrained from alienating or altering the shareholding of Indian companies linked to the estate and barred from withdrawing provident fund amounts or dealing with personal effects, including artworks. The court also stayed the operation of foreign bank accounts and cryptocurrency holdings associated with the deceased, while clarifying that immovable properties held abroad were outside the scope of the interim directions.
During arguments before the High Court, counsel representing Samaira and Kiaan questioned the authenticity of the Will, citing alleged inconsistencies including the use of feminine pronouns for the testator, lack of registration and doubts over the origin of the document. They also argued that the circumstances required heightened scrutiny because Priya Kapur was both the propounder and sole beneficiary.
Priya Kapur, however, denied allegations of concealment or diversion of assets and maintained that all disclosures had been made before the court. Her counsel argued that the format of the disputed Will was consistent with a Will executed by Rani Kapur in 2024 and rejected allegations relating to undisclosed valuables and accounts.
Rani Kapur has separately challenged the Will, claiming she was never informed about its existence and was not acknowledged in it. She also alleged that Priya Kapur moved quickly after Sunjay Kapur’s death to consolidate control over the estate and failed to fully disclose several valuable assets before the court.
