Court Grants Priya Kapur Time to Respond in Defamation Case Amid Inheritance Battle
The legal saga surrounding the massive Rs 30,000 crore inheritance of late businessman Sunjay Kapur has taken a new turn in court. The Patiala House Court has granted Priya Kapur, Sunjay's widow, additional time to file a reply to an application submitted by Mandhira Kapur Smith, Sunjay's sister, in an ongoing defamation case.
Defamation Case and Inheritance Dispute Intertwined
This defamation case stems from comments made by Mandhira Kapur Smith against Priya Kapur, as Mandhira supported her mother Rani Kapur in the inheritance dispute. Priya filed the defamation suit in January, alleging that publicly circulating material promotes misleading narratives aimed at tarnishing her reputation and subjecting her to harassment through public discourse rather than legal channels.
During recent proceedings, Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Siddhant Sihag allowed time for Priya's counsel to file a reply to Mandhira's application, which seeks the production of certain documents related to the case. Mandhira attended the hearing via video conferencing.
Legal Arguments and Representation
Representing Priya Kapur, Senior Advocate Maninder Singh appeared alongside advocates Smriti Asmita and Jhanvi Narang, while Advocate Amit Prasad represented Mandhira Kapur. Maninder Singh requested additional time, stating that a copy of the application had been received only a day prior to the hearing.
Previously, Priya Kapur's legal team had opposed the plea for document production, arguing that:
- The matter was still at the notice stage and had not progressed to the stage of framing charges
- The documents being sought were unrelated to the defamation complaint
- These documents were already publicly accessible
The counsel contended, "We are at the stage of notice, not at the stage of charge. Therefore, the application for production cannot be filed at this stage. All the documents she (Mandhira Kapur) is seeking are related to property, trust, etc. These are not related to this complaint and are in the public domain. She is aware of everything."
Background of the Inheritance Battle
The inheritance dispute involves multiple parties claiming rights to Sunjay Kapur's substantial estate, estimated at around Rs 30,000 crore. The key claimants include:
- Priya Kapur, Sunjay's widowed wife
- Samaira and Kiaan, children from Sunjay's previous marriage to actor Karisma Kapoor
- Rani Kapur, Sunjay's mother
Sunjay Kapur, who served as chairman of Sona Comstar, was previously married to Karisma Kapoor in 2003. The couple had two children—Samaira, born in 2005, and Kiaan, born in 2011. They filed for divorce in 2014, which was finalized in 2016. Following their separation, Sunjay married Priya Sachdev, and the couple later welcomed a son, Azarias.
In August last year, Priya submitted a document before the Delhi High Court, claiming it to be Sunjay's will. This was contested by Samaira, Kiaan, and Rani. While some reports have pegged the value of Sunjay's assets at around Rs 30,000 crore, Karisma Kapoor's children have stated that they are unaware of the estate's exact valuation.
The defamation case adds another layer of complexity to this high-stakes inheritance battle, with legal proceedings continuing to unfold in multiple courts.
