‘Why are you fighting? You’re 80: SC issues notice over Sunjay Kapur estate dispute, urges meditation

New Delhi: In a new development in the estate dispute involving late businessman Sunjay Kapur, the Supreme Court on Monday issued notice on a plea filed by Rani Kapur, seeking response from Priya Sachdev Kapur and 22 others.A bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and Vijay Bishnoi also said mediation could be explored to resolve the matter, noting that protracted litigation in family disputes may not be beneficial.ANI quoted the court as saying: “Why are you fighting? You are 80 years old. This is not the age for your clients to fight. Mediate from beginning to end, once and for all. Otherwise, it is a waste.” The matter is scheduled to take place next week.The petition filed in the Supreme Court seeks directions to restrain the defendants from interfering with the estate, its assets and related matters.“It would be in the interest of all parties concerned if they engage in mediation and try to resolve the dispute peacefully and fairly… If necessary, we will hear the matter on its merits; however, first, we should try to persuade the parties to mediate,” the judge said, stressing the need for an amicable solution. Rani Kapoor also challenged the order passed by the Delhi High Court, arguing that the heritage has not been protected and raising concerns about possible loss of assets.Senior advocate Shyam Divan, appearing for her, said courts usually issue protection orders at the early stages of disputes involving large estates. He was assisted by Senior Advocate Vaibhav Gaggar and Advocate of Record Smriti Churiwal.Senior advocate Madhavi Divan appeared for Mandhira Kapur Smith, one of the affected parties, while senior advocate Naveen Pahwa, representing the affected grandchildren, supported the plea and said they had been excluded.The dispute stems from a lawsuit filed by Rani Kapur challenging the creation of the Rani Kapur Family Trust, claiming that the structure of the trust deprived her of control of her estate, including her interest in Sona Group. She claimed that after suffering a stroke in 2017, her late son and others helped transfer assets without her informed consent.The matter escalated after Sunjay Kapur’s death last year, with competing claims emerging over control of the family’s assets and business interests. Parallel proceedings on related issues are currently pending before the Delhi High Court.