Delhi HC closes Sunjay Kapur estate hearings, reserves order on plea

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday brought hearings to a close in the contentious civil suit over the personal estate of late industrialist Sunjay Kapur, reserving orders on the interim injunction plea filed by his children from an earlier marriage with actor Karisma Kapoor, after recording that all parties had completed their written submissions as directed earlier.

Justice Jyoti Singh noted that oral arguments had already concluded and that the remaining written submissions filed by the contesting sides had now been formally taken on record. The Court stated that the procedural requirements had been complied with and made it clear that no further filings would be entertained before the order is pronounced. During the earlier arguments, Senior Advocate Rajiv Nayar, appearing for Priya Kapur, denied the claims that assets were siphoned abroad or concealed. He submitted that a comprehensive list of assets had been filed, supported by financial records, corporate filings and sworn disclosures, which, according to him, demolished the allegations of concealment. He also disputed assertions that the deceased had an annual income of ₹60 crore, stating that the figures cited by the challengers were inaccurate.

Responding to a specific claim concerning a high-value Rolex watch, Nayar said the allegation was founded on images sourced from a fake social media account and not from the deceased's authentic profile. He further maintained that all assets known to Priya had already been disclosed to the Court. In relation to post-demise corporate actions, the defence pointed to correspondence indicating that specific steps were initiated pursuant to an email from Rani Kapur's account sent shortly after Sunjay Kapur's death, an email she later disowned. Nayar also rejected suggestions that the disputed Will was modelled on Priya's Will, stating that its format was consistent with a Will executed by Rani Kapur in 2024, already on record.

Opposing the defence, Senior Advocate Mahesh Jethmalani appeared for the children from Sunjay Kapur's marriage with Karisma Kapoor, Samaira Kapur and Kiaan Raj Kapur, who have challenged the Will and sought an interim injunction restraining Priya from dealing with the estate. Jethmalani argued that the Will was fraught with inconsistencies and suspicious features, contending that Sunjay Kapur could not have plausibly authored its language. He pointed to the use of feminine pronouns in reference to the testator, the omission of the deceased's mother, and the absence of registration, and questioned who prepared the document, suggesting that it may have been created on a third party's laptop. He also emphasised that Priya is both the propounder and the sole beneficiary of the Will, a circumstance that, in his view, warranted heightened judicial scrutiny.

Sunjay Kapur's mother, Rani Kapur, has independently contested the Will, asserting that she was never informed of its existence and that it does not even acknowledge her. Through counsel, she argued that the document was inconsistent with her son's longstanding conduct and his stated acknowledgement of her role in his life and affairs. Senior Advocate Vaibhav Gaggar, appearing for Rani Kapur, submitted that it was highly improbable for Sunjay Kapur to bequeath his entire personal estate solely to Priya, given his close relationships with his children, mother and extended family.

Rani has alleged that, following her son's death, Priya moved swiftly to consolidate control over businesses and assets, and that the asset statements filed before the Court were incomplete, omitting valuable artworks, watches, bank accounts, insurance policies, rental income and other investments. She also questioned the plausibility of the declared asset value of around ₹1.7 crore in light of Sunjay Kapur's reported earnings in the year preceding his death.

The dispute stems from a civil suit filed by Sunjay Kapur's children challenging the authenticity of the alleged Will in a matter involving assets said to be worth nearly ₹30,000 crore. With all submissions now on record and further filings barred, the Delhi High Court has reserved its judgment on the interim injunction plea, which will determine the course of the inheritance battle.