The Delhi high court on September 10 asked late businessman Sunjay Kapur’s wife, Priya, to disclose all his movable and immovable assets. The court was hearing a suit filed by Sunjay’s two children with former wife, actress Karisma Kapoor, asserting their claim to a share in their father’s personal estate.
Priya informed the court that the two children had already received Rs. 1,900 crore in assets from the family trust, and asked, “What more do they want?”
The court registered the plaint by Samaira Kapoor, 20, and her 15-year-old brother, Kiaan, also challenging the purported will of their late father. It issued a notice to Priya, and posted the matter for October 9.
Appearing for Priya, advocate Rajiv Nayyar contested the claim that his client had forged the will to gain control over all his assets. He informed the court that although the will was not registered, it was valid. He added that just six days before the suit, the plaintiffs had received Rs. 1,900 crore from the trust. The counsel remarked, “There were litigations after litigations, and it ended in acrimonious divorce proceedings in Supreme Court. At the age of 50, a man dies. I am a widow and have a six-year-old child. Where were you all this while? You were nowhere to be seen for the last 15 years. It’s not as if these people are left on the streets.”
Senior advocate Mahesh Jethmalani, appearing for Karisma’s children, argued that the will was never disclosed earlier, was unregistered, and was read “in haste” at the family meeting in July. Jethmalani also pointed to “suspicious circumstances” as the executor herself admitted learning about the will only a day before, and that its disclosure came from a Kapur family employee.
Priya’s counsel confirmed that the will was in their custody. He placed it before Justice Singh, who examined it. The court then suggested that the will be shared with Karisma’s children subject to a non-disclosure agreement.
Sunjay’s mother, Rani, also assailed the will, saying that it left nothing to her. She termed the entire process “unholy”. Appearing for the mother, senior advocate Vaibhav Ghaggar informed the court that she wrote at least 15 emails asking about the will, but not a word had been shared. Ghaggar told the court, “Rs. 10,000 crore worth of assets should have been mine. I am 80 years old, his mother. I am Class 1 legatee. All gone. I am nowhere. Priya comes in, within three months of her getting married, everything goes? My son today leaves me with not a roof on my head, and on the road?”