Mandhira Kapur Smith, the sister of late industrialist Sunjay Kapur, has publicly responded to the criminal defamation case filed against her by Sunjay's wife, Priya Kapur Sachdev. In a strong reaction, Mandhira asserted that she has never lied about anything and stands by her statements regarding the family's ongoing legal battle over Sunjay's massive estate, estimated at Rs 30,000 crore.
Defamation Case and Mandhira's Defense
Priya Kapur Sachdev recently filed a defamation complaint against Mandhira Kapur Smith. The complaint alleges that Mandhira repeatedly uploaded and circulated videos on social media platforms like Instagram and X. These videos explicitly named Priya and contained false allegations aimed at causing hatred, ridicule, and social ostracism. The complaint also mentioned that in a podcast, Mandhira implied Priya's marriage with Sunjay was troubled and not legitimate.
Addressing these allegations, Mandhira said, "All of what I said is mentioned in court, how am I defaming? Anything I have lied about, let me know, because I can guarantee I've lied about nothing." She expressed surprise that the media received the complaint before she did, calling it a tactic to distract her from the core issues. "The funny thing is the media got it before me! These are all tactics to distract me from what is going on," she added.
Family Estate and Emotional Toll
Mandhira emphasized the emotional impact on her family, particularly her mother, Rani. "I sit with my mother everyday, and she says, 'Get everything back, your father (Surinder Kapoor) and I built this.' It's horrible, what our family is going through," she shared. She claimed that the entire business and estate were built by her parents and should rightfully belong to her mother, sister, herself, and their children, including Sunjay's children.
"The fact is, all this belongs to my mother, my sister, to me, our children, my brother's children. No one was trying to cut Priya out, she is the one who has done all this. No one was going to cut out of her bit of the family inheritance, but you don't take it all and walk away," Mandhira stated. She vowed to fight for her mother's rights while she is alive, asserting that everything was meant to be in her mother's name as per her father's wishes.
Support for Karisma Kapoor and Her Children
During the interview, Mandhira revealed that she remains in close contact with Sunjay Kapur's ex-wife, Karisma Kapoor, and their children, Samaaira and Kiaan. "The kids have lost their best friend. My mother lost her son. It's very tough," she said, highlighting the personal loss beyond the financial dispute. She criticized the narrative that Priya is promoting about the family business, denying claims that her father ran the company into the ground and that Sunjay revived it.
"The whole story that she (Priya) is doing about my father, that he ran down the company to the ground and my brother brought it up… no, the company was doing really well. Should I put a defamation against her now? You want to play this game? We can keep playing it. I have got nothing to lose," Mandhira concluded defiantly.
Legal Developments in the Estate Battle
The legal dispute over Sunjay Kapur's estate continues to intensify. Karisma Kapoor's children have filed a new plea in the Delhi High Court, challenging the authenticity of Sunjay's will. The family claims that the signature on the will is fake, adding another layer to the complex case.
Meanwhile, Priya Kapur filed an application seeking documents related to Sunjay and Karisma's 2016 divorce. Recently, the court asked Karisma to file her objections within two weeks regarding the maintainability of this application. Sunjay Kapur married Karisma Kapoor in 2003, and they had two children before divorcing in 2016 after a prolonged legal battle. He then married Priya Sachdev in 2017, and they have a son named Azarias. Unfortunately, Sunjay passed away at the age of 53 in June last year, leaving behind a contentious estate worth billions.
The family feud shows no signs of abating, with both sides preparing for a prolonged legal fight. Mandhira Kapur Smith's latest statements underscore the deep personal and financial stakes involved, as she positions herself as a defender of her parents' legacy and a supporter of Karisma Kapoor's family in this high-profile dispute.
