Rani Kapur Approaches Delhi High Court in Family Trust Dispute
The legal battle surrounding the estate of the late industrialist Sunjay Kapur has intensified with a significant development. His mother, Rani Kapur, has now approached the Delhi High Court to challenge the validity of a family trust that bears her name. This move marks a new chapter in the ongoing dispute over the distribution of assets following Sunjay Kapur's untimely demise in June last year.
Allegations of Fraudulent Trust Formation
In her petition, Rani Kapur has made serious allegations regarding the establishment of the Rani Kapur Family Trust. She claims that the trust was fraudulently set up without her informed consent and was subsequently misused to unlawfully divert assets that rightfully belonged to her. According to her legal submissions, she was compelled to sign documents without being adequately briefed about their nature or legal implications. Some of these documents were allegedly signed while they were still blank, raising questions about the transparency of the process.
Rani Kapur further asserts that these actions were part of a broader scheme to reorganize the family's estate through the trust mechanism, deliberately designed to work against her interests. When she later obtained photocopies of the trust deed, she discovered provisions that exclusively benefited Sunjay Kapur during his lifetime, completely excluding her from any advantages.
Court Proceedings and Judicial Developments
The Delhi High Court witnessed notable developments in this case recently. Justice Vikas Mahajan recused himself from hearing the civil suit filed by Rani Kapur on Wednesday. Following this recusal, the High Court directed that the matter be placed before a different bench on Thursday, January 29. The court, however, declined to issue an immediate status quo order concerning the Rani Kapur Family Trust, which had been established prior to Sunjay Kapur's death.
Subsequently, a bench led by Justice Mini Pushkarna took up the matter and issued summons in response to Rani Kapur's plea seeking the annulment of the RK Family Trust. The court called for responses from Priya Kapur and 22 other respondents named in the petition, setting the stage for further legal proceedings.
Distribution of Trust Assets After Sunjay Kapur's Death
The petition reveals detailed information about how the trust's assets were allegedly allocated following Sunjay Kapur's passing. According to Rani Kapur's claims, 60 percent of the trust's corpus was designated for his third wife, Priya Kapur. The remaining portion was reportedly allocated for the benefit of his grandchildren: Samaira Kapur and Kiaan Kapur (his children with actor Karishma Kapoor), and Azairus Kapur (his son with Priya Kapur).
Background of Sunjay Kapur and Family
Sunjay Kapur, who served as the chairperson of Sona Comstar, passed away last year after suffering a cardiac arrest while playing polo in London. His personal life included multiple marriages that have now become relevant to the estate dispute. He was previously married to designer Nandita Mahtani and later to actor Karishma Kapoor, with whom he had two children, Samaira and Kiaan. In 2017, he married model-actor and entrepreneur Priya Kapur, and the couple had a son named Azarius.
The current legal proceedings highlight the complex nature of estate distribution in high-profile families and raise important questions about trust formation procedures and beneficiary rights. As the case moves to a new bench in the Delhi High Court, all parties await further judicial scrutiny of the allegations and counter-allegations surrounding the Kapur family trust.
