Court Questions Secrecy in Sunjay Kapur Estate Battle, Upholds Children’s Right to Question Will

In a significant development in the ongoing inheritance dispute over the estate of late businessman Sunjay Kapur, the Delhi High Court on Thursday raised serious questions regarding a plea by his widow, Priya Sachdev Kapur, to keep the disclosure of his personal assets and liabilities confidential. The court, presided over by Justice Jyoti Singh, asserted that Kapur’s children from his first marriage with actor Karisma Kapoor have an unquestionable “right to question the assets disclosed.”

Concerns Over Confidentiality

The observation was made during the hearing of an application filed by Priya Sachdev Kapur. She sought permission to submit the list of her late husband’s assets in a sealed cover, with all involved parties, or at least a designated “Confidentiality Club” of advocates and representatives, being bound by strict confidentiality or a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA). Her counsel argued that the secrecy was necessary due to security concerns surrounding the public disclosure of sensitive financial details, such as bank account numbers, and alleged that “press conferences” were being held after court hearings.

However, the court viewed this request for stringent confidentiality as potentially “problematic.” Justice Singh directly addressed the impact of such secrecy on the petitioners, Samaira Kapur and Kiaan Raj Kapur (Kapur’s children with Karisma Kapoor).

“Allowing the application may be problematic for the simple reason that as the alleged beneficiary of the estate, they… have a right to question the assets disclosed. So, tomorrow if they have to verify and go about asking what has happened, if they are bound by this confidentiality club, how will they ever defend their case?” the judge questioned.

The Core Dispute

The legal battle commenced after Samaira and Kiaan, represented by their mother Karisma Kapoor, filed a partition suit seeking their rightful share in their late father’s multi-crore estate, reportedly valued in the thousands of crores. The children have challenged the authenticity of a purported will, allegedly executed shortly before Sunjay Kapur’s death, which reportedly leaves his entire personal estate to Priya Sachdev Kapur.

During the hearing, the counsel for Karisma Kapoor’s children opposed the secrecy plea, arguing against hiding property details. Furthermore, the children’s lawyer made a stark claim, asserting that bank accounts related to the estate have been “wiped off, there is nothing left in the bank account,” underscoring the necessity for transparent disclosure.

The dispute is multifaceted, with Sunjay Kapur’s mother, Rani Kapur, also joining the legal fray, alleging that her rights under the family trust were undermined following Priya Sachdev’s marriage and questioning the circumstances surrounding the will’s disclosure.

The High Court had previously directed Priya Sachdev Kapur on September 10 to furnish a comprehensive statement of Sunjay Kapur’s assets and liabilities. The current hearing, where the court expressed its concerns, did not result in a final decision on the confidentiality application, with the matter scheduled to resume shortly.