Sunjay Kapur's widow Priya Sachdev urged by court to end estate feud with his mother: 'She is 80 years old'

A widening inheritance dispute following the death of businessman Sunjay Kapur has now reached the Supreme Court, drawing in his 80-year-old mother Rani Kapur, widow Priya Sachdev Kapur, and his children from his earlier marriage to actor Karisma Kapoor.

At the centre of the legal standoff is his estate, with tensions escalating into court proceedings even as judges push for mediation and restraint.

Sunjay Kapur died of cardiac arrest on June 12, 2025, while playing polo in London.

Supreme Court pushes for calm amid mediation effort

On Thursday, the Supreme Court heard the ongoing dispute between Rani Kapur and Priya Sachdev Kapur over the estate. A Bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and Ujjal Bhuyan said it would review how mediation, already underway in the high-profile family matter was progressing.

The court made its expectation clear that the process should not be disrupted. It said:

“We have already requested the mediator to start with the mediation proceedings. For the present, we request the opponents not to do anything which may directly affect mediation. Time and again we have said it will be in the interest of all parties to put an end to this dispute else it will be a long drawn battle,” the Bench said, as quoted by several Indian media outlets including Hindustan Times.

The judges also underscored the human cost behind the legal conflict, pointing specifically to Rani Kapur’s age. The Bench observed:

“She is an 80-year-old woman. We all came with empty hands and we have to go with empty hands. All we carry is our souls. There has to be a will to settle the matter. Don't go before the mediator with a heavy heart just because court has pushed us. Each one of you try.”

At one point during the hearing, the court also questioned the filing of another plea and reiterated its expectation that mediation be taken seriously:

“Why are you again here? If you all are not interested in mediation, we will not waste any time and we will hear it. Once we have sent it to mediation, we expect the parties to participate.”

Dispute spills into corporate control battle

Beyond mediation, the court also stepped in to pause a key corporate move linked to the family’s holdings. It restrained a company tied to the inheritance dispute from proceeding with the appointment of independent directors.

The interim order came after an application filed by Rani Kapur, who has accused her daughter-in-law Priya Sachdev Kapur and others of attempting what she described as a “forced takeover” of the disputed estate, despite mediation already being handled by former Chief Justice of India Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud.

The plea specifically challenged a proposed May 18 board meeting of Raghuvanshi Investment Private Limited (RIPL), where appointments of two independent directors and changes to authorised banking signatories were on the agenda.

Family left divided after Sunjay Kapur’s death

The case stems from a broader petition by Rani Kapur seeking protection of the family estate and restrictions on alleged interference with trusts and corporate entities linked to the Sona Group, once chaired by Sunjay Kapur, former chairman of Sona Comstar.

Since his death on June 12, 2025, the family has remained locked in legal conflict over succession and control. Sunjay was married to Priya Sachdev Kapur at the time of his passing, and they have a son, Azarius. He also shares two children Samaira and Kiaan with his former wife Karisma Kapoor.