Delhi High Court Issues Ruling on Sunjay Kapur’s Estate
On Thursday, the Delhi High Court instructed Priya Kapur, the widow of the late businessman Sunjay Kapur, to maintain his assets. This decision follows claims made by his children, Samaira and Kiaan, with actress Karishma Kapoor, who raised concerns about the legitimacy of a will allegedly leaving all his wealth to their stepmother.
Justice Jyoti Singh stated that the authenticity of the will will be investigated in a trial that may take time. Until then, it’s crucial to keep the assets intact. The judge noted that if the assets were used up and Priya Kapur could not prove the will’s validity, the children and their grandmother, Rani Kapur, would miss out on their rightful shares.
The court has prohibited Priya Kapur from selling or transferring shares in three Indian companies, withdrawing from provident fund accounts, disposing of personal artworks, or using funds from three bank accounts, except to meet certain contractual obligations. She is also restricted from accessing foreign bank accounts and managing cryptocurrency assets.
However, the court did not address the issue of overseas properties. It acknowledged that the plaintiffs have presented a convincing case for protecting the assets in question while the lawsuit is resolved.
This ruling comes from a legal action taken by Samaira and Kiaan, who are seeking one-fifth of their father’s property. They argue that Priya Kapur revealed the will unexpectedly during a family meeting on July 30 and did not disclose its existence prior.
The children allege that Priya Kapur, along with witnesses Nitin Sharma and Dinesh Agarwal, may have fabricated the will. They even accused her in court of falsifying the document and having gambling issues.
Their claims include that the will was altered while Sunjay Kapur was in Goa with Kiaan. They highlighted numerous errors in the document, such as misspelled names and incorrect addresses.
Priya Kapur defended herself, asserting that it is common for a husband to leave his entire estate to his wife in their family, referencing that Sunjay Kapur’s father had done the same.
During the proceedings, Azairus argued that Samaira and Kiaan only pursued this case after ensuring their interests were protected under a family trust.
On Monday, the Supreme Court urged both sides to consider mediation to resolve this inheritance dispute. It also acknowledged Rani Kapur’s request to safeguard the estate from alleged interference.
Sunjay Kapur, who was the chairman of Sona Comstar, passed away due to a cardiac arrest while playing polo in London on June 12 last year. He had previously been married to designer Nandita Mahtani and later to actress Karisma Kapoor before marrying Priya Kapur in 2017.
