Inheritance and wills often serve to break rather than unite families. A similar high-profile case is going on in the Delhi High Court regarding the estate of late businessman Sanjay Kapoor. The High Court has now made an important and humanitarian intervention in this battle for control over family trust and property worth thousands of crores of rupees. The court has clearly stated that ‘wealth is a blessing, do not let it become a curse’ and advised the parties to resolve the matter through mediation rather than ‘washing dirty laundry in public’.
Sanjay Kapoor’s legacy at the root of controversy
At the center of this legal battle is Sanjay Kapoor’s huge property and ‘family trust’. The controversy deepened when Sanjay Kapoor’s third wife, Priya Sachdev Kapoor, claimed that Sanjay had bequeathed his entire personal property to her through a will made in 2025.
However, this claim has been strongly challenged by Sanjay Kapoor’s ex-wife Karisma Kapoor (on behalf of their two children) and Sanjay’s mother, Rani Kapoor. Karisma Kapoor’s side alleges that the will is fake. At the same time, Rani Kapoor has also filed a case to declare the family trust illegal, raising questions over Priya’s control and authenticity of the will.
Screw on dividend of Rs 28 crore
This is not only a matter of family ego, but also of huge corporate stake. Rani Kapoor has demanded in the court to cancel the family trust, whose valuation is estimated at several thousand crores. Additionally, Rani Kapoor has sought directions from the court that the interim dividend of approximately ₹28 crore should not be transferred to Priya Kapoor. A bench of Justice Mini Pushkarna on Tuesday issued notices on both Rani Kapoor’s petition and the application filed by Priya Kapoor to dismiss her mother-in-law’s suit.
Court said- ‘Adopt proactive approach’
During the hearing of the case, Justice Pushkarna made a scathing comment and said that this situation is very sad and ‘dirty clothes are being washed openly’ by raising a lot of personal matters in the court. The court said that although all the parties have suffered personal loss, God has given them immense wealth, which should be enjoyed by all together.
Addressing senior advocate Akhil Sibal, representing Priya Kapoor, the court said, ‘Mr. Sibal, this court expects you to take a more proactive approach in this. Since you are on top of matters, you can make it possible’.
‘Mother has lost her son, wife is now alone’
The court also underlined the humanitarian aspect of the case. Justice Pushkarna said that Rani Kapoor is elderly and has lost her son while she was alive, which is unbearable for any parent. At the same time, the court also said that Priya is now alone and has to take care of her children, hence her and her children’s interests should also be taken care of.
Instructions to explore possibilities for mediation
The court has made it clear that while taking any decision, the interests of all parties should be protected. The bench has directed all the lawyers to talk to their clients and explore possibilities of resolving the dispute through mediation. The next hearing of the case has been fixed for March 23. It will be interesting to see whether the court’s advice of ‘mediation’ works in this corporate-family dispute worth thousands of crores, or whether this legal battle will drag on further.
