The Delhi High Court has directed the preservation of assets belonging to the late industrialist Sunjay Kapur, observing that “suspicious circumstances” surrounding his purported last will must be cleared before the document can be legally accepted. Justice Jyoti Singh passed an interim order restraining Kapur’s first wife, Priya Kapur, from alienating or transferring the estate—reportedly valued at ₹30,000 crore—following a challenge by his children from his marriage to actor Karisma Kapoor.
The legal battle emerged following the sudden demise of Sunjay Kapur on June 12, 2025. Kapur, a prominent industrialist, suffered a fatal cardiac arrest during a polo match in England. Following his death, a dispute arose over his purported last will and testament.
The plaintiffs in the suit—Kapur’s children from his second marriage to Karisma Kapoor—challenged the validity of the document. They filed an interim application seeking to restrain Priya Kapur (the defendant and Sunjay Kapur’s first wife) from disposing of or creating third-party interests in the vast assets left behind by their father.
Justice Jyoti Singh, while hearing the application, noted that the material on record suggested legitimate concerns regarding the authenticity of the will. The court emphasized that the burden lies on the proponent of the will to remove all doubts surrounding its execution.
“Having heard and on examination of the material on record, I have the considered view that all legitimate suspicious circumstances raised by the plaintiffs will have to be completely removed by defendant number one (Priya Kapur) before the document is accepted as the last will,” the judge observed.
The court further held that a prima facie case had been established for the protection of the assets. Justice Singh remarked that if the assets were not preserved and the will was eventually found to be invalid or non-genuine, the children and Kapur’s mother, Rani Kapur, would be “deprived of their legitimate shares.”
To ensure the estate remains intact pending the disposal of the suit, the High Court issued several restraining orders:
- Corporate Holdings: The court restrained any changes to the equity shareholdings in three Indian companies owned by the deceased.
- Financial Assets: The court prohibited the withdrawal of funds from three specific bank accounts, except for the limited purpose of discharging existing liabilities toward the children.
- Provident Fund: The withdrawal of the deceased’s PF amount has been stayed.
- Personal Effects: The order restrains the disposal of personal effects, including valuable artwork belonging to the late industrialist.
The court clarified that these interim directions currently apply to the domestic estate and do not extend to immovable assets located in foreign jurisdictions.
The High Court concluded that the assets forming the subject matter of the suit require protection to ensure the final judgment of the court is not rendered infructuous. While the detailed verdict is awaited, the current order ensures that the ₹30,000 crore estate remains frozen in its current state until the “suspicious circumstances” cited by the plaintiffs are addressed.
