Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi

New Delhi, May 7: The Supreme Court on Thursday appointed former Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud as mediator to resolve the ongoing dispute between Rani Kapur and Priya Kapur over the estimated Rs 30,000 crore assets of late industrialist Sunjay Kapur.

A Bench comprising Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan passed the order after all parties agreed to opt for mediation in the matter.

The apex court also advised all family members not to make public statements or social media posts regarding the dispute and urged them to approach the mediation process with an open mind.

“It’s a family dispute; let it be confined among the family only. It should not be a source of entertainment. This being a family affair, the endeavour on their part should be to get the disputes resolved at the earliest,” the Bench observed.

The court further directed that all stakeholders, including Sunjay Kapur’s children from his earlier marriage with actor Karisma Kapoor, participate in the mediation proceedings.

The dispute pertains to inheritance and control over the Sona Group family assets following the death of industrialist Sunjay Kapur in London in June last year.

Meanwhile, the Delhi High Court last week ordered freezing of foreign bank accounts linked to the late businessman while granting interim protection over his estate. The High Court also restrained operations involving cryptocurrency holdings and directed preservation of assets estimated at around Rs 30,000 crore.

The High Court further ordered status quo on the assets and restrained creation of third-party rights over the estate. Parties were also directed to submit detailed account statements before the court.

The Supreme Court observed that prolonged litigation involving multiple stakeholders and substantial assets may not serve the interests of the family, especially considering the age of Sunjay Kapur’s mother, Rani Kapur.

“It would be long-drawn litigation. The plaintiff is 80 years of age. It will be in the interest of parties if they go for mediation and decide the issue peacefully,” the Bench remarked.

Rani Kapur has challenged the formation and functioning of a family trust, alleging that it was fraudulently created to deprive her of her rightful share in the family assets. She approached the Supreme Court against a Delhi High Court order that denied her interim relief and refused to preserve the estate during pendency of the case.

According to her petition, she lost control over her residence and several movable and immovable properties. She has sought urgent safeguards to prevent alleged diversion of assets.

Rani Kapur further alleged that after suffering a stroke in 2017, she was made to sign documents, including blank papers, under the guise of administrative formalities. She claimed that her late son Sunjay Kapur and his wife Priya Kapur misused her medical condition to transfer ownership of key assets into the family trust.

The dispute reportedly intensified after Sunjay Kapur’s death, with allegations that Priya Kapur subsequently assumed control of major Sona Group entities, leaving Rani Kapur without any effective share in the estate.

The matter also involves competing claims by other family members, including grandchildren, while parallel proceedings in the case continue before the Delhi High Court.