Highlights
- Delhi High Court orders preservation of estate worth about £3 billion
- Children of Karisma Kapoor challenge will and asset disclosures
- Court restrains sale of assets and operation of bank accounts
A fortune paused in place
The dispute over late businessman Sunjay Kapur’s vast estate has taken a decisive turn, with the Delhi High Court ordering that his assets be preserved while legal questions are examined.
In an interim order, the court said the estate, estimated at around £3 billion, must not be dissipated. It restrained his third wife, Priya Sachdeva Kapur, from selling any of the assets and also directed that his bank accounts should not be operated.
The ruling effectively places the entire fortune on hold, shifting control away from individuals and into legal oversight.
The dispute over what is missing
At the centre of the case are claims from Kapur’s children, Kiaan and Samaira, from his marriage to Karisma Kapoor. Their challenge focuses not only on ownership but on the completeness of what has been declared.
They have alleged that the will attributed to Kapur is forged and that the list of assets submitted to the court is incomplete. According to their claims, items such as polo horses, luxury watches and other high-value possessions have not been included. They have also pointed to missing properties and artworks believed to be part of the wider family estate.
The court noted that the children had established a prima facie case and said the responsibility lies with Priya Kapur to address these concerns. It observed that failing to act could result in injustice if the will is later found to be invalid.
A family dispute under public view
The case forms part of a wider and increasingly public family dispute involving Kapur’s mother Rani Kapur and his sister Mandira Kapur. The exchanges have been sharp, reflecting the scale of the estate and the competing claims around it.
Sunjay Kapur died at the age of 53 in London on 12 June last year while playing polo. While early reports suggested cardiac arrest, British medical authorities later confirmed natural causes, including left ventricular hypertrophy and ischaemic heart disease.
For now, the court’s intervention reframes the dispute. The immediate focus is no longer on division of wealth, but on establishing exactly what the estate contains before any decisions are made.
