NEW DELHI: The Delhi high court on Thursday allowed an interim injunction plea filed by the children of Karisma Kapoor, ordering that the status quo be maintained on the estate of late industrialist Sunjay Kapur and barring any creation of third-party rights over his assets.According to news agency ANI, the court further directed that account statements be submitted and restrained the operation of foreign bank accounts as well as cryptocurrency holdings linked to the estate.Noting that “suspicious circumstances” have been raised by the petitioners and Defendant 3 (Rani Kapur), the court observed that the responsibility lies with Priya Kapur (Defendant 1) to clear such doubts.
It also held that the issue of estate preservation must be decided in the affirmative, observing that the trial is likely to take time and, until then, the assets need protection.The court said that all legitimate concerns raised by the petitioners must be duly addressed by Defendant 1.The ruling stems from a high-profile dispute over Sunjay Kapur’s estate, in which the high court had earlier reserved its order on interim pleas after hearing arguments.The petition was filed by his children from his marriage with actor Karisma Kapoor, who have questioned the validity of the will.Senior advocate Rajiv Nayar, appearing for Priya Kapur, rejected allegations of concealment or asset siphoning and said that full disclosures had been made.He also disputed claims over high-value assets and defended the will, stating that its format was similar to another will within the family.On the other hand, Senior advocate Mahesh Jethmalani, representing the children, highlighted alleged inconsistencies in the document, including its wording, absence of registration and concerns about its preparation, arguing that stricter scrutiny was necessary as Priya Kapur is both the propounder and sole beneficiary.Separately, Sunjay Kapur’s mother has also challenged the will, claiming she was unaware of its existence and disputing the extent of asset disclosure.
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The matter, involving an estimated Rs 30,000 crore estate, remains under adjudication with the interim order ensuring that the assets are preserved until the final trial.
