After the death of Sanjay Kapoor, there is a legal dispute over his inheritance between his widowed wife Priya Kapoor and his mother Rani Kapoor. As per the latest update on Monday, the Supreme Court of India has clearly favored conciliation in the ongoing dispute over the Sona Group family trust.
The court said that a long courtroom battle, particularly involving an 80-year-old, would not achieve much. The matter is titled Rani Kapoor vs. Priya Sachdev Kapoor.The bench led by Justices JP Pardiwala and Vijay Bishnoi expressed concern over the protracted nature of the dispute and urged the parties to consider resolving it out of court. According to Bar & Bench, while speaking to the lawyers, the bench said: “Why are you all fighting? This is not the right age for your client to fight… Go to mediation once and for all, from A to Z.”
Otherwise, it’s a waste.”The court reiterated this point, adding: “You are 80 years old. This is not the appropriate age for your client to fight,” stressing that protracted litigation in such circumstances serves little practical purpose. At the heart of the dispute is a lawsuit filed by Rani Kapoor, which has challenged the validity of the Rani Kapoor Family Trust. She alleged that the trust was fraudulently created to deprive her of her entire assets, including her control over Sona group companies.
Her plea said that after she suffered a stroke in 2017, her late son Sanjay Kapoor and his wife Priya allegedly took advantage of her vulnerable condition. It is alleged that the assets were transferred to the trust without her full understanding or consent, and that she was forced to sign documents, some of which were allegedly blank, under the pretext of red tape formalities. The situation worsened after Sanjay Kapoor’s death in June last year.
Rani Kapoor claimed that Priya Kapoor then moved quickly to take control of the key entities of the Sona Group, merging a significant share of the family fortune with Priya and her children, and leaving Rani Kapoor with nothing.The matter is not limited to the Supreme Court alone. Relevant proceedings regarding the estate and its control are already pending before the Delhi High Court. In the Supreme Court, the present petition seeks an order maintaining the status quo on the transfer or disposition of all property associated with the trust.While appearing for Rani Kapoor, senior advocate Shyam Divan said that in disputes involving “vast properties and huge disputes”, courts generally intervene early by issuing protection orders. Senior advocate Madhavi Divan, who represents the daughter, echoed this concern, saying they were “left with nothing”.Senior advocate Naveen Pahwa, appearing on behalf of some of the grandchildren, also supported this petition, stating that they were effectively excluded. The bench went on to elaborate on the need for a workable solution, saying: “It would be in the interests of all parties concerned to go to mediation and try to resolve disputes peacefully and fairly… We will hear the matter, if necessary, on an objective basis; however, we must first try to persuade the parties to go to mediation.”
“The case is now expected to be listed again next week. Senior advocate Vaibhav Gajjar also appeared for Rani Kapoor.
