The Supreme Court on Thursday invoked spirituality in the multi-billion-dollar property dispute over the estate of late industrialist Sunjay Kapur, reminding his mother and wife of the transience of life and urging them to resolve issues amicably rather than fight endlessly.
Mediation Process Hits Obstacle
The court-directed mediation process encountered an obstacle before it began, with Kapur's mother, Rani Kapur, alleging that two new independent directors were being appointed in the company to reduce her influence. Priya Kapur countered that the appointments were made at the directive of the Reserve Bank of India.
A bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and Ujjal Bhuyan appealed to both parties to be accommodative and not enter mediation with prejudiced minds. The Supreme Court also directed that no director be appointed in the meantime.
Court's Appeal for Compassion
The bench asked Priya to treat her mother-in-law with care, noting that she was 80 years old and grief-stricken. It urged both parties not to take any action that could derail the mediation proceedings. "Put an end to the dispute amicably, or it will be a very long-drawn battle," the bench said.
Asking both parties to compromise, the Supreme Court remarked, "We all came into this world with empty hands, and we have to leave the world with empty hands. All we carry is our souls. We come with our soul and leave with the soul."
Mediator Appointed
Since the parties expressed willingness to participate in mediation, the Supreme Court had appointed former Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud as mediator on May 7 and asked them to refrain from making public statements.
