Delhi HC excludes Mandhira from estate suit of late brother Sunjay Kapur

The Delhi High Court has ordered that Mandhira Kapur, sister of the late businessman Sunjay Kapur, be removed as a party to the ongoing legal battle concerning his estimated Rs 3,000-crore estate. The decision was pronounced after Priya Kapur, the widow of Sunjay Kapur, filed an application objecting to Mandhira's participation in the proceedings. The High Court clarified that its previous order, which inadvertently noted the presence of Mandhira’s legal counsel, would be rectified in accordance with the facts now established.

Priya Kapur, along with her minor son, contested Mandhira Kapur’s involvement, asserting that Mandhira’s legal representatives had neither been present in court nor made any submissions during the hearings, according to Bar & Bench. In her plea, Priya claimed Mandhira sought “a backdoor entry” into the inheritance case—a phrase that was directly cited—describing it as a “mischievous attempt to mislead the court.” Priya further stated that such intervention was “neither permissible nor legally valid” and represented “an abuse of process of law.”

The dispute over Sunjay Kapur’s estate intensified after his children with former wife Karisma Kapoor—Samaira and Kiaan—approached the court seeking a share of their late father’s assets. The children, represented by Karisma Kapoor, alleged that their stepmother Priya Kapur, had forged the will to secure total control over the estate after Sunjay’s sudden passing in the United Kingdom. During the proceedings, the court recorded Priya Kapur’s lawyer’s appearance, while the question of Mandhira’s participation became a point of contention.

Mandhira Kapur has publicly declared her support for her niece and nephew, stating, “I stand by them because I do not think that if anyone knows the relationship they have had with their father and for their father not to have them a part of the will, it just doesn’t add up. Doesn’t make sense. So I stand by them,” according to news reports. This backing aligns her interests with those of Karisma Kapoor’s children, despite her removal from the formal proceedings.

The legal filings submitted by Priya Kapur referenced the official history of the case, noting, “That upon the careful perusal of the Case History of the captioned suit from the website of the Hon’ble High Court of Delhi it is apparent and clear that Ms. Mandhira Kapur has not filed any application to be impleaded as a party to the captioned suit, and therefore the said deliberate and mischievous attempt is to gain a back door entry into the proceedings before this Hon’ble Court and take a benefit out of the present lis,” and added, “It is pertinent to note that the manner in which Ms. Mandhira Kapur has attempted to join the proceedings is unknown to the law, and is an abuse of process of law in an attempt to create an incorrect record on the record of this Hon’ble Court.”