The legal dispute surrounding the estate of late businessman Sunjay Kapur has taken another turn as a Delhi court heard arguments in a criminal defamation complaint filed by his widow Priya Sachdev Kapur against Mandhira Kapur Smith and another individual. The matter was heard on Thursday at the Patiala House Court.
According to updates reported by Asian News International (ANI), Mandhira Kapur appeared before the court and filed her reply to the defamation complaint. Along with the reply, she submitted an application seeking directions from the court for the production of certain documents from Priya Kapur.
The case was heard by Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Siddhant Sihag, who listened to preliminary arguments regarding Mandhira’s application. After hearing the submissions from both sides, the court scheduled the next hearing for March 30 for further arguments. The court also granted time to counsel representing proposed accused Pooja Chaudhary to submit a reply.
During the hearing, Senior Advocate Maninder Singh, representing Priya Kapur, argued that the application filed by Mandhira was not maintainable at the current stage of the proceedings. He informed the court that he did not intend to file a formal written response to the application but reserved the right to raise legal objections during arguments.
Advocate Amit Prasad, appearing for Mandhira Kapur, submitted the reply along with the request seeking the production of documents. He argued that the allegedly defamatory statements should not be evaluated in isolation and must be examined within their broader context.
However, Priya Kapur’s legal counsel opposed the request, stating that the case is currently at the stage of notice rather than the stage where charges have been framed. According to him, an application seeking the production of documents is not appropriate at this procedural stage.
Maninder Singh further argued that the documents sought by Mandhira Kapur relate to issues such as property holdings, trusts, and other financial matters that are unrelated to the defamation complaint. He added that many of these documents are already available in the public domain and that Mandhira is aware of them.
The criminal defamation complaint filed by Priya Kapur alleges that certain material circulating online contains misleading narratives and accusations intended to damage her reputation. According to the complaint, these statements were allegedly used to malign and harass her through public discourse rather than through proper legal channels.
The dispute forms part of a broader legal conflict over the estate of Sunjay Kapur, who served as chairman of Sona Comstar before his death.
Sunjay Kapur had previously married actor Karisma Kapoor in 2003. The couple had two children, daughter Samaira Kapur, born in 2005, and son Kiaan Raj Kapoor, born in 2011. Their marriage ended after the two filed for divorce in 2014, which was finalized in 2016.
Following the divorce, Sunjay Kapur married Priya Sachdev. The couple later welcomed a son, Azarias Kapur.
The inheritance dispute intensified last year when Priya Kapur submitted a document before the Delhi High Court in August claiming it to be Sunjay Kapur’s will. The document was subsequently challenged by his children Samaira and Kiaan, as well as another family member, Rani Kapur.
Media reports have suggested that Sunjay Kapur’s total assets could be worth approximately ₹30,000 crore. However, Karisma Kapoor’s children have reportedly stated in court filings that they are not aware of the exact valuation of their late father’s estate.
With multiple legal proceedings underway, including disputes over the alleged will and the ongoing defamation complaint, the matter continues to unfold across different courts. The next hearing in the defamation case at the Patiala House Court is scheduled for March 30, where further arguments on Mandhira Kapur’s application are expected to be heard.