Sunjay Kapur inheritance case: Delhi High Court closes hearings in Rs 30,000 crore will dispute, order reserved

With all submissions now on record and further filings barred, the Delhi High Court has reserved its order on the interim injunction plea, a decision that is expected to shape the course of the inheritance battle.

• Delhi High Court reserves order on Sunjay Kapur estate dispute after hearings
• Sunjay Kapur's children challenge authenticity of Will, citing inconsistencies
• Priya Kapur denies concealment of assets; all submissions now on court record

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The Delhi High Court on Wednesday concluded hearings in the high-profile civil suit concerning the personal estate of late industrialist Sunjay Kapur and reserved its order on the interim injunction plea filed by his children from an earlier marriage with actor Karisma Kapoor. The court recorded that all parties had completed their written submissions in line with earlier directions.

Justice Jyoti Singh noted that oral arguments had already been concluded and that the remaining written submissions from the contesting sides had now been formally taken on record. Observing that all procedural requirements had been met, the court made it clear that no further filings would be accepted before the order is pronounced.

During earlier arguments, senior advocate Rajiv Nayar, appearing for Priya Kapur, rejected allegations that assets had been siphoned overseas or concealed. He submitted that a complete inventory of assets had been placed before the court, backed by financial statements, corporate filings and sworn disclosures, which, he said, disproved claims of concealment. Nayar also challenged assertions that the deceased earned Rs 60 crore annually, arguing that the figures relied upon by the challengers were incorrect.

Addressing a specific allegation regarding a high-value Rolex watch, Nayar said the claim was based on images taken from a fake social media account rather than the deceased's genuine profile. He maintained that all assets known to Priya Kapur had already been disclosed to the court. On post-demise corporate actions, the defence referred to correspondence suggesting that certain steps were taken pursuant to an email sent from Rani Kapur's account shortly after Sunjay Kapur's death-an email she later disowned. Nayar also denied suggestions that the disputed Will was modelled on Priya Kapur's Will, contending that its format was consistent with a Will executed by Rani Kapur in 2024, which is already on record.

Opposing these submissions, senior advocate Mahesh Jethmalani, appearing for Sunjay Kapur's children Samaira Kapur and Kiaan Raj Kapur, argued that the Will was riddled with inconsistencies and suspicious features. He contended that the language of the document could not plausibly have been authored by Sunjay Kapur, pointing to the use of feminine pronouns for the testator, the omission of the deceased's mother, and the lack of registration. Jethmalani questioned who prepared the document, suggesting it may have been drafted on a third party's laptop. He also stressed that Priya Kapur is both the propounder and the sole beneficiary of the Will, a factor that, in his submission, warranted heightened judicial scrutiny.

Sunjay Kapur's mother, Rani Kapur, has separately challenged the Will, claiming she was never informed of its existence and that it does not even acknowledge her. Through her counsel, she argued that the document was inconsistent with her son's long-standing conduct and his expressed recognition of her role in his personal and professional life. Senior advocate Vaibhav Gaggar, appearing for Rani Kapur, submitted that it was highly unlikely for Sunjay Kapur to bequeath his entire personal estate exclusively to Priya Kapur, given his close ties with his children, mother and extended family.

Rani Kapur has further alleged that following her son's death, Priya Kapur moved quickly to consolidate control over businesses and assets, and that the asset disclosures filed in court were incomplete. She claimed that valuable artworks, watches, bank accounts, insurance policies, rental income and other investments had been left out, and questioned the credibility of the declared asset value of around Rs 1.7 crore in light of Sunjay Kapur's reported earnings in the year preceding his death.

The case arises from a civil suit filed by Sunjay Kapur's children challenging the authenticity of the alleged Will in a dispute involving assets said to be worth nearly Rs 30,000 crore. With all submissions now on record and further filings barred, the Delhi High Court has reserved its order on the interim injunction plea, a decision that is expected to shape the course of the inheritance battle.