The Delhi High Court on Thursday granted interim injunctive relief to Samaira and Kiaan Kapoor, the children of Bollywood actor Karisma Kapoor, restraining their stepmother Priya Sachdev Kapur from creating any third-party rights or interests in the estate of the late industrialist Sunjay Kapur.
The single-judge Bench of Justice Jyoti Singh, while allowing the application under Order XXXIX Rules 1 and 2 of the Code of Civil Procedure, held that the plaintiffs had established a prima facie case warranting the grant of interim relief.
The Court recorded that substantial and credible doubts had been raised by Karisma Kapoor and Sunjay Kapur’s mother, Rani Kapur, regarding the validity, due execution and genuineness of the will purportedly executed by the deceased, thereby placing the evidentiary onus on Priya Kapur to substantiate the authenticity of the will during trial.
Noting that the testamentary validity required a full-fledged adjudicatory process involving the appreciation of evidence, the single-judge Bench underscored the need to preserve the estate in the meantime. The Court restrained Priya Kapur from alienating, transferring, encumbering, or otherwise creating third-party interests in the movable assets of the deceased, including any alteration in equity structure or shareholding of Sunjay Kapur’s Indian companies. She was further barred from withdrawing provident fund accumulations and from dealing with personal effects, including artwork and other high-value movables.
Additionally, the Court imposed restrictions on withdrawals from three bank accounts held in Indian banks, except to the limited extent required to discharge liabilities towards the children under the divorce decree between Sunjay Kapur and Karisma Kapoor. The operation of identified foreign bank accounts and cryptocurrency holdings was also stayed. However, the Court clarified that its order did not extend to immovable properties located outside the territorial jurisdiction of India.
The lis emanated from a civil suit filed by Samaira and Kiaan, represented by their mother, alleging wrongful exclusion from their father’s estate following his death in June 2025 in the United Kingdom. The plaintiffs impugned a will dated March 21, 2025, under which the entire personal estate of Sunjay Kapur was purportedly bequeathed to Priya Kapur. They contended that the document was forged, fabricated, and deliberately suppressed prior to its eventual disclosure.
In the substantive reliefs sought, the plaintiffs prayed for a declaratory decree recognising them as Class I legal heirs under the applicable succession regime, coupled with a decree of partition entitling them to a one-fifth share each in the estate. By way of interlocutory relief, they sought freezing and preservation of the estate pending final adjudication.
The civil suit named Priya Kapur, her minor son Azarias, Rani Kapur, and the executor of the will, Shradha Suri Marwah, as defendants. The plaintiffs further alleged that Priya Kapur, along with associates Dinesh Agarwal and Nitin Sharma, suppressed the will for several weeks before disclosing it at a family meeting on July 30, 2025.
Contesting the proceedings, Priya Kapur asserted the validity and enforceability of the will, contending that alleged discrepancies did not vitiate its legal sanctity. She further submitted that the plaintiffs have already derived benefits under an existing family trust arrangement.
After considering submissions from both sides, the Court granted interim protection in favour of the children pending adjudication of the dispute.
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