Delhi High Court Issues Summons In Rani Kapur's Suit Against Priya Kapur, Karisma Kapoor's Children Over 'Fraudulent' Family Trust

The Delhi High Court on Thursday issued summons in a suit moved by late industrialist Sunjay Kapur's mother, Rani Kapur against her daughter-in-law Priya Kapur and actress Karisma Kapoor's children alleging that they orchestrated a “fraudulent family trust” to unlawfully strip her of her entire estate.Justice Mini Pushkarna directed the defendants to file written statements in the suit within thirty days. The Court also issued notice on Rani Kapur's application seeking interim relief. “Let replies be filed within four weeks. Rejoinder if any be filed within two weeks,” the Court said.Senior Advocate Akhil Sibal appeared for Priya Kapur. As the counsel appearing for Rani Kapur referred to the application for interim relief, the Court said:“I am issuing summons. For interim, I will ask them to file replies. The Trust has not been created only now.”Rani Kapur's counsel submitted that the onus is on the defendants to prove that the Trust in question is valid and created with free consent. “She has lost her son. On June 13, the defendant no 1 (Priya Kapur) becomes Director in a leading company holding all assets. On June 12 the death happens. June 16, she becomes the Director in another company. June 19 the cremation happens. June 20, she becomes Managing Director of main holding company. Salary of Rs. 1 crore with perks etc. becomes a trustee ln this Trust. What does this Trust say? I am mo longer a beneficiary. My house etc everything gone. Priya Sachdeva becomes beneficiary of 60 percent and remaining 40 percent is for children from this marriage and other marriage…,” the counsel said.The counsel appearing for some defendants raised the objection regarding maintainability of the suit. On this, the Court said that the defendants will be at liberty to take all the objections, including preliminary objections, in the written statements. All the issues are kept open which shall be adjudicated (later), the Court said.The matter will next be heard on March 23.The 80-year-old widow has alleged that the “RK Family Trust/Rani Kapur Family Trust” is fraudulent, null and void, and that her entire estate and family legacy were illegally diverted into the said trust without her knowledge or consent.Kapur has said that the alleged fraud perpetrated upon her was only discovered post the demise of her son who passed away on June 12, 2025.The suit names 23 defendants, including Priya Kapur, her son Azarias Kapur; Karisma Kapoor's children- Samaira Kapur and Kiaan Kapur; her daughter Mandhira Kapur Smith and her two children.According to the suit, Rani Kapur is the sole beneficiary and legatee of the estate of her late husband, Dr. Surinder Kapur, promoter of the Sona Group of Companies. Dr. Kapur passed away in June 2015, leaving behind a Will dated February 6, 2013, under which his entire estate, including shareholding in various Sona Group companies, devolved upon her.As per the suit, the Will was duly probated by the Bombay High Court in January 2016, after all three of her children gave their no-objection .The suit alleges that despite this, her assets were siphoned off over several years through a “complex web of illegal transactions” and parked into the RK Family Trust, purportedly created in or around October 2017, without her consent.Rani Kapur has claimed that immediately after Sunjay Kapur's demise, her daughter-in-law took swift steps to assume control over key Sona Group companies, including securing appointments as director and managing director within days of the funeral rites, without informing or consulting her.It has further been alleged that Rani Kapur's access to company information was blocked by falsely claiming that her email account had been “hacked”, and a new email ID was created and used without her knowledge to effect changes in the trust and company management.Terming the RK Family Trust as “illegal, fraudulent and unregistered”, Rani Kapur has sought restoration of her entire estate and legacy as it existed prior to the creation of the impugned trust.For context, the Delhi High Court has reserved order on the interim relief sought by actress Karisma Kapoor's children- Samaira Kapur and her brother, in their suit seeking a share in their late father's personal assets.Case title: RANI KAPUR V/s PRIYA SACHDEV KAPUR AND ORS

Delhi High Court Issues Summons In Rani Kapur's Suit Against Priya Kapur, Karisma Kapoor's Children Over 'Fraudulent' Family Trust

Nupur Thapliyal

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