The Delhi High Court on Wednesday reserved its decision on a petition filed by the children of actor Karisma Kapoor, challenging the authenticity of the will of their late father, industrialist Sunjay Kapur, and seeking a share in his personal estate estimated to be worth around Rs 30,000 crore.
A single-judge Bench of Justice Jyoti Singh noted that all parties had completed filing their written submissions and directed that no further pleadings would be accepted. The court’s order came after confirmation that the pending written submissions had been placed on record, clearing the way for the matter to be considered for judgment.
The case stems from a family dispute over the personal estate of Sunjay Kapur, who died earlier this year at the age of 53 after suffering a heart attack while playing polo in the United Kingdom. His children from his marriage to Karisma Kapoor, Samaira Kapoor and Kiaan Kapoor, have moved the High Court seeking one-fifth share each in the estate, asserting their rights as legal heirs.
The siblings have alleged that a will dated March 21, 2025, which bequeaths Sunjay Kapur’s entire personal estate to his third wife, Priya Sachdev Kapur, is forged and the result of a criminal conspiracy aimed at excluding them and their grandmother, Rani Kapur, from inheritance. They have accused Priya Kapur of tampering with the will and attempting to take control of the entire property.
During earlier hearings, senior advocate Mahesh Jethmalani, appearing on behalf of the children, argued that the alleged will was modified while Sunjay Kapur was on holiday with his son. It was also submitted that the person accused of altering the document was appointed as a company director a day after Kapur’s death, raising questions about the circumstances surrounding the execution of the will.
The petitioners have maintained that they shared a close and continuous relationship with their father, remaining in regular contact through meetings, holidays, visits, and electronic communication. They have stated that they frequently stayed with him at his Delhi residence, countering any suggestion that they were estranged or excluded from his personal life.
The Delhi High Court had earlier expressed dissatisfaction over the delay by Karisma Kapoor and Rani Kapur in filing their written submissions within the prescribed timeline, despite the completion of oral arguments. On Wednesday, counsel representing them informed the court that the submissions had since been filed before the registry, prompting the Bench to reserve its order.
Sunjay Kapur married Karisma Kapoor in 2003, and the couple divorced in 2016. He later married Priya Sachdev Kapur, who is the principal beneficiary under the disputed will. The estate in question comprises Kapur’s personal assets, separate from corporate holdings, and its disposition has become the subject of intense legal scrutiny.
With the High Court having reserved its verdict, the outcome will determine whether the contested will stands or whether the claims raised by Kapur’s children warrant further examination through trial or additional proceedings. The decision is expected to have significant implications for the distribution of one of the country’s largest private estates.
