Business tycoon and Karisma Kapoor's ex-husband, Sunjay Kapur's Rs 30,000 crore estate battle continues to dominate headlines as the case has been played out in court since October. Meanwhile, Sunjay Kapur's sister, Mandhira Kapur, in a recent podcast, claimed that Priya Kapur is attempting to erase her brother's bloodline and carry forward his legacy with her daughter from her former husband, Vikram Chatwal.
What Mandhira Kapur Said About The Will
Mandhira Kapur questioned the legitimacy of including Safira's name in the will, as her biological father is still alive. Questioning the intention behind this inclusion, Mandhira said, “Safira has been called the daughter (in the will). Samaira is the daughter, not Safira. Safira is the stepdaughter. Her biological father is alive.”
Safira is the daughter of Priya Kapur and hotelier Vikram Chatwal. Six years after divorcing Vikram, Priya married Sunjay Kapur in 2017. When Sunjay was alive, Safira lived with her mother at his residence.
“How are you even doing this to that family?” questioned Mandhira, adding, “Nobody is denying that my brother cared for Safira. But don't take over when Samaira is there. Don't name Safira ‘the daughter'. She is the stepdaughter. Stop rewriting lineage.”
Mandhira's reaction came after senior counsel, Mahesh Jethmalani, who is representing Karisma Kapoor's children Samaira and Kiaan, described the will submitted by Priya as “suspicious” during an October hearing of the case.
What Does The Will Say?
The will Priya presented before the court names only Priya, Azarius, and Safira, excluding Sunjay's biological children with Karisma — Samaira and Kiaan.
Pointing out discrepancies, Mandhira said, “My brother was a particular human being. You cannot misspell his son's name or get his daughter's address wrong. These are not mistakes; these are giveaways. Just because you've been with someone for seven years doesn't mean you can erase the habits we grew up with. Nobody changes so drastically to become another person within seven years. Spelling mistakes, wrong pronouns — these are signs.”
“You're depriving the whole family. You have stolen from our family. You have stolen. This is ours. It doesn't belong to you. Like, what have you done? Gotten married? I mean, seriously? Had a child and it's all yours now? Everyone should get married like this — go, get married, have a baby, and chalo, it's all yours!” Mandhira said bluntly, slamming Priya.
The Estate Battle
Sunjay Kapur's children, Samaira and Kiaan, have filed a case alleging that their stepmother, Priya Sachdev Kapur, “forged” their father's will to “disown” them from his Rs 30,000-crore estate.
Appearing on their behalf, senior advocate Mahesh Jethmalani told the court that the will was “forged to disinherit” Sunjay's children from his previous marriage. He further alleged that even Sunjay's mother, Rani Kapur, had been “sidelined” in the document, arguing that “only Priya Kapur profits from this forged will".
Jethmalani also pointed to what he described as unusual discrepancies in the will's language, including the use of feminine pronouns when referring to Sunjay.
Senior advocate Rajiv Nayar, representing Priya Kapur in court, dismissed claims that a misspelt name meant the will had been forged. He argued that a forged will would not contain “so many mistakes” and noted that no one had disputed the signature.
The legal battle has intensified in recent months following Sunjay Kapur's untimely death in the UK on June 12 this year.
After a hearing on November 17, Joint Registrar (Judicial) Gagandeep Jindal issued notices to Priya Kapur and Shradha Suri Marwah — the executor of the alleged will — and directed them to file their replies within three weeks. The matter is now listed for December 16.