Courtroom drama surrounding Sanjay Kapoor’s estate has escalated, with his sister Mandira Kapoor Smith insisting that widow Priya Sachdev Kapoor produce crucial documents in a defamation case. The court’s intervention, scheduled for March 30, 2026, sparked debate over the significance of the documents, with Priya’s legal counsel maintaining that they are public and should remain unreleased. Read on to know more in detail.
The legal dispute over the late businessman Sanjay Kapoor’s vast fortune involving his widow, Priya Sachdev Kapoor; Sister Mandira Kapoor Smith. The children from his ex-wife Karisma Kapoor are still continuing. The Patiala House Court has issued notice on a petition filed by the late businessman’s sister seeking certain documents from Priya Sachdev Kapoor.According to ANI, Mandira Kapoor has filed her response to the defamation complaint filed against her by Priya Sachdev Kapoor. Along with its reply, it also filed an application seeking directions on the production of certain documents from the complainant.Additional Chief Justice (ACJM) Siddhant Sehag heard the preliminary arguments on the application. Now the court will hear the matter on March 30, 2026.
The judge also gave the accused’s proposed lawyer, Pooja Chaudhary, time to file a response. Senior advocate Maninder Singh, representing Priya Kapoor, submitted to the court that Mandira Kapoor’s application is not maintainable at the current stage of proceedings.
He stated that he did not wish to provide a formal response but reserved his right to discuss legal points.Mandira Kapoor appeared in court after notice was served against her on an earlier date.
Lawyer Amit Prasad, who represents Mandira Kapoor, has filed a response with an application stating that the alleged defamatory words should not be viewed in isolation. Senior advocate Maninder Singh, representing Priya Kapoor, opposed the application. Opposing the plea seeking directions to produce documents, Singh said the matter was currently at the notice stage, and not at the charge stage.
Therefore, a request to produce documents cannot be submitted at this stage.
The senior counsel also stated that the proposed accused, Mandira Kapoor, did not deny the statement. The content is not alleged to have been altered or manipulated.Advocate Amit Prasad, counsel for Mandira Kapoor, submitted that the judgment cited by the complainant’s counsel has no relevance to this case, as this is a complaint case. He said that the ruling relied upon by the complainant only applies to cases brought by the state in criminal proceedings.
On the other hand, the senior counsel said such an application becomes relevant only after the court takes cognizance of it and at the appropriate stage of the proceedings.
Since there is no denial of this statement, Mandira Kapoor, counsel for the complainant, said that the defendant may ask for the documents at the charging stage.He further emphasized that this is not a civil case; In fact, the defendants are accused in a criminal defamation case for allegedly tarnishing the image of the complainant in the eyes of the public.
Therefore, the petition for production of documents does not apply at this stage. The senior counsel also said that all the documents requested by Mandira Kapoor relate to property, trusts and other matters that are unrelated to the present complaint and are already in public domain.
She stated that she was already aware of these matters.On January 21, the Patiala House Court issued notice to the proposed accused, Mandira Kapoor and Pooja Choudhary. The court recorded the statements of Priya Sachdev Kapoor and her sister Charu Sachdev in the defamation complaint filed by Priya Kapoor against Mandira Kapoor and another.Senior advocate Maninder Singh, along with lawyers Smriti Asmita and Jhanvi Narang, appeared for Priya Sachdev Kapoor. Priya Sachdev Kapoor has filed a criminal defamation complaint against Mandira Kapoor Smith, the sister of Sanjay Kapoor, and another person, alleging that a series of statements made against her via podcasts, social media platforms, media interviews and content reposted online constitute a sustained and deliberate campaign to damage her reputation. The complaint asserts that the impugned statements contain false assertions, insinuations and personal attacks presented as established facts, despite the fact that the issues are subsidiary. Judiciary, causing serious damage to reputation.According to the complaint, the materials circulating in the public domain make misleading narratives and allegations intended to defame and harass Priya Kapoor through public discourse rather than pursuing legal remedies. Senior advocate Maninder Singh asserted that such behavior directly attracts the offense of criminal defamation under applicable law.The filing of the defamation case comes in the wake of recent developments in the related proceedings, where the court has sought a response from actor Karisma Kapoor in relation to the application made by Priya Kapoor for certified copies of divorce court records relating to late industrialist Sanjay Kapoor.
Against this backdrop, Mandira Kapoor-Smith made public statements to the media questioning Priya Kapoor’s behavior and motives.
She stated that if her brother had intended to share certain information, he would have done so during the marriage. She also noted that divorce proceedings are confidential, especially when it comes to children. Priya Kapoor alleged that these statements formed part of the defamatory material she complained about and approached the court through senior advocate Maninder Singh seeking criminal action for the alleged damage to her reputation.
