Priya Kapur Lawyer's "Wealthy Oliver Twist" Jab At Karisma Kapoor's Children

The Delhi High Court on Friday saw Senior Advocate Rajiv Nayar (appearing for Priya Kapur) and Senior Advocate Akhil Sibal (for Azarias Kapur) argue firmly against Karisma Kapoor's children's allegation that their father Sunjay Kapur's will had been forged. Sunjay died on June 12 after collapsing during a polo match in England, reportedly due to a sudden cardiac arrest.

Opening the day's submissions, Nayar quoted from the record to describe the case as "a construct of speculation, shifting goal posts and afterthoughts," before likening the conduct of the Kapoor family to "a wealthy Oliver Twist, who wants more."

Nayar addressed the accusation that Priya had suppressed the will, stating that the legitimacy of any testament does not depend on "timelines imagined by the plaintiffs" but on its lawful execution. He pointed out that Priya handed over the original will to the executor on June 24, 2025 -- a fact the complainants themselves acknowledge.

He then detailed what he said were inconsistencies in Karisma Kapoor's conduct in the weeks following Sunjay's death. According to him, Priya repeatedly invited Karisma to Delhi for the prayer meeting, but she declined. On July 30, at Hotel Taj Mansingh, the will was read out to Karisma and her children in the presence of lawyers from all sides. At that stage, Nayar argued, Karisma's only focus was the Rs 2,465 crore trust share to which her children were beneficiaries.

He said Karisma pressed solely for BEN-1 forms, exchanged cordial WhatsApp messages thanking Priya for sending documents, and did not ask for a copy of the will for 22 days after the reading. "The record shows one clear truth - Karisma Kapoor's only interest was the trust, not the will," Nayar submitted. "This is the conduct of a wealthy Oliver Twist, who wants more."

According to the defence, the day Priya informed Karisma that the beneficial interest of the children in the trust had been secured, Karisma filed the present suit challenging the personal will.

Turning to objections about typographical errors in the document, Nayar referred to the 2024 will of Rani Kapur -- Sunjay's mother -- which had been used as a template. This template, he said, explains identical misspellings, the structure of the document, and even the use of the word "Testatrix" - a woman who has made a will or given a legacy. He argued that every alleged irregularity is accounted for in the existing digital trail and that nothing about the Will is suspicious. "Every document, email and digital footprint is already on record," he said.

Senior Advocate Akhil Sibal argued that the complainants were improperly attempting to convert an interim-relief hearing into a substantive trial. "Every judgment they rely on is post-trial. Order 39 is not a mini-trial," he submitted. Sibal also recalled that Karisma filed the suit the very week Priya was helping her daughter Samaira move into a new apartment. "Good faith was met with litigation," he told the Court.

Sibal asserted that "every factual thread in the record points to a validly executed Will," and that the challenge emerged only after the plaintiffs had secured a ₹2,465 crore benefit. He added that the balance of convenience rested entirely with the defendants, as "injunctions cannot be granted on conjecture dressed as suspicion."

The matter will next be heard on  November 27.

A day earlier, during an additional round of arguments, Priya Kapur had told the Court that it was a "healthy tradition" in the Kapur family for a husband to give his assets to his wife. Nayar submitted that Sunjay's father had also left everything to his wife, Rani Kapur, and that Sunjay's will followed the same pattern. "There is nothing suspicious about a husband giving everything in his assets to his wife. As is the case in my father-in-law's Will where everything was given to his wife," he said, calling it a long-standing family practice.

The court is hearing the challenge brought by Sunjay Kapur's children - Samaira and Kiaan - to the purported will governing assets reportedly worth Rs 30,000 crore. The children have sought an interim injunction restraining Priya Kapur from alienating any of Sunjay's assets until the authenticity of the will is established.

During the hearing, Nayar said that on February 10, a printout of the will was shown to Sunjay. He suggested a few changes, which were incorporated into subsequent drafts. The final modifications were made on March 17 while Sunjay was in Goa, he added. Priya's will and Sunjay's will were executed on the same day, something Nayar described as customary for a married couple.