The Delhi High Court on Friday directed all parties involved in the dispute over late industrialist Sunjay Kapur’s estate not to share details of his personal assets and liabilities with the media.
Justice Jyoti Singh passed the order while considering a plea filed by Priya, seeking confidentiality in the ongoing proceedings concerning Kapur’s property. The court stressed that sensitive details relating to his estate must remain private to avoid any undue publicity.
The court specifically ordered that a copy of Kapur’s will may be supplied to the defendant only on the condition that it be used discreetly and not leaked in public. “A copy of the ‘will’ be supplied to the defendant subject to the undertaking that it will be used discreetly and that the party or advocates would not leak it to public,” the court observed.
Priya, a party to the dispute, had urged the court to allow her to file the list of Kapur’s personal assets and liabilities in a sealed cover, with parties bound by confidentiality. Alternatively, she sought the constitution of a confidentiality club to safeguard sensitive details.
On September 25, the court had noted that filing the list in a sealed cover could pose difficulties since Kapur’s two children with actor and former wife Karisma Kapoor have the legal right to question the assets disclosed.
The directions reflect the court’s attempt to strike a balance between confidentiality of the proceedings and the rights of Kapur’s heirs to scrutinize disclosures concerning his estate. The matter will continue to be heard, with confidentiality remaining a key consideration in further proceedings.
