There’s a new plot twist to the battle over Sunjay Kapur’s Rs. 30,000 crore assets. A week after the first hearing about the dispute over the inheritance of the late industrialist’s assets at the Delhi High Court, Mahesh Jethmalani, senior lawyer and counsel to Karisma Kapoor’s children, has revealed that Samaira and Kiaan have not received the shares worth Rs. 1,900 crore as cited in the court.

The legal team said in a statement, “The Rs. 1,900 crore figure is based on the value of Sona Comstar shares, and the children have not received any of the shares, which are still held through the Trust. Control of these assets remains with Priya Sachdev Kapur in the Trust, and the children have no access to it.”

Mahesh Jethmalani said, “This litigation is about securing the future of Sunjay Kapur’s children and ensuring fair access to the assets held in India and abroad.” He said that the figure cited by Priya Sachdev Kapur’s lawyer in the court is based on the value of Sona Comstar shares.

To put things into perspective, Jethmalani further explained, “Assuming the estate is worth Rs. 30,000 crore and the children having allegedly received Rs. 1,900 crore from the RK Trust, still leaves over Rs. 28,000 crore to Priya Sachdev Kapur. Would she forsake a good part of that fortune? One has to understand and appreciate that this litigation is to ensure all the five Class 1 heirs, including the two children of Karisma and Sunjay Kapur receive fair access to his estate.”

As per reports from the courtroom proceedings, the children have still not been given a copy of the will, nor any clarity on their father’s assets.

Sunjay Kapur and Karisma Kapoor’s children, Samaira (20) and Kiaan (15), represented by their mother, have filed a case against Priya Sachdev Kapur, for a share in their father’s Rs. 30,000 crore assets, and have alleged suppression and forgery of will. They claimed that the will surfaced seven weeks after his demise, but no one has seen it till date. In the last hearing, Priya’s counsel claimed in the Delhi HC that the children had received Rs. 1,900 crore through the RK Family Trust.

Mandhira Kapur (left), Sunjay Kapur & Karisma Kapoor family

The fight over late businessman Sunjay Kapur’s Rs. 30,000 crore estate has landed in the Delhi High Court, with his and Karisma Kapoor’s children, Samaira and Kiaan, challenging a will that excludes them. At the centre of the dispute is a will that no one other than Priya has seen yet.

Lawyer Mahesh Jethmalani, representing the siblings, told the court that the will cuts the two children out of their father’s fortune, is unregistered, and that the circumstances surrounding its discovery are suspicious.

On the other side, Priya Sachdev Kapur, Sunjay Kapur’s wife, represented by Rajiv Nayar, has argued that the case itself is “not maintainable” and reminded the court that an unregistered will is not automatically invalid. Nayar also referred to the bitter divorce between Karisma and Sunjay, adding that she was “nowhere to be seen” after the split. He further told the court that assets worth Rs. 1,900 crore have already been transferred to the siblings. The court has asked for replies to be filed. 

Senior Advocate Vaibhav Gaggar, who appeared for Sunjay Kapur’s mother Rani Kapur, told the court that she too has been left without anything.

“I have written at least 15 emails asking about the will, what are the documents? Not a word has been shared. I have been told that my emails have been compromised. There is something incredibly unholy. Rs. 10,000 crore worth of assets should have been mine. I am 80-year-old,” he told the court.

“I have a 6-year-old child. I am a widow. I am his last wife. There is nothing secret about the will. I have said that I will share it, but they will have to share a non-disclosure. It’s been disclosed to the court… All this crying and weeping that is going on. Just six days before the suit, the plaintiffs received Rs. 1,900 crore from the trust,” Rajiv Nayar, who appeared for Priya Sachdev Kapur, told the court.

​Karisma Kapoor, who is representing her children, moved the court saying the children have been wrongfully excluded from Sunjay Kapur’s estate. The siblings have accused stepmother Priya Sachdev Kapur, who is Sunjay’s third wife, of forging his will and trying to gain total control of the assets.

Senior Advocate Mahesh Jethmalani, who appeared for the Karisma Kapoor’s children, said in the court, “The father (Sunjay Kapur) was meticulous in securing the properties of the children. It is a fact that this will is not registered. So we have a document that suddenly comes up, and the most surprising (thing) is that the children are totally left out. We have asked for the disclosure of the assets of the father as well… Why is it suspicious? It’s because this will was not disclosed to us. What has triggered this suit is that all along the plaintiffs were told that there was no will. Some of the property is held by a trust… This goes beyond reason, because the person who disclosed that a will exists is also an employee of the company.”

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Industrialist Sunjay Kapur, 53, who was also actor Karisma Kapoor’s ex-husband, died in the UK on Thursday night. He reportedly suffered a heart attack while playing polo after swallowing a bee during the game.

Following the news, Karisma’s family and friends rallied around her, including sister Kareena Kapoor Khan and brother-in-law Saif Ali Khan. Actor Vivek Anand Oberoi wrote on X: “It’s truly heartbreaking to hear about the untimely passing of Sunjay Kapur. Such a profound loss for everyone who knew him.”

Reality TV star Shalini Passi told HT: “The news of Sunjay’s death is sad and shocking. It makes us realize the frivolity of our life and everything that we take so seriously.”

Just hours before his death, Sunjay wrote about the plane crash on X: “Terrible news of the tragic Air India crash in Ahmedabad. My thoughts and prayers are with all the families affected. May they find strength in this difficult hour (sic).”

After his death, a post he shared on X on June 9 went viral (see inset on top). Sunjay and Karisma got married in 2003, and got divorced in 2016. They had two kids together — daughter Samaira Kapoor, 20, and son Kiaan, 14.

While Sunjay was co-parenting Samaira and Kiaan with Karisma, he was also father to Azarias, his seven-year-old son with wife Priya Sachdev. He hired a parenting coach to navigate his blended family and to adhere to the responsibilities of fatherhood in a better manner.

As per Forbes, Sunjay’s net worth at the time of his death was $1.2 billion (Rs. 10,300 crore). As of a few months ago, his publicly listed company was valued at Rs. 40,000 crore. They manufacture automobile parts for seven out of the top 10 car companies in the world.

After a long-drawn bitter battle, Karisma Kapoor and her businessman husband Sunjay Kapur were finally granted divorce by the family court in Mumbai on Monday, ending 13 years of their marriage. The announcement came after the court accepted the settlement terms as agreed by both in the Supreme Court on April 8. The consent terms include the custody of their children - Samaira and Kiaan, which now rests with Karisma. The couple's Khar flat which was owned by Sunjay's father, late Surinder Kapur, too has been transferred on Karisma's name. Sunjay, has been granted visitation rights and he can spend two weekends a month in the city with his children. The kids will divide time between both parents during the vacations. When contacted, Karisma's father Randhir Kapoor said, “I don't want to comment on this. It's a closed chapter for our family.“

Commenting on the issue earlier, he had said, “I don't know if it is a good or a bad thing, but it is certainly a sad moment for our family. The only silver lining in this is that the children will spend most part of the year with us. Karisma has been through a rough time in the last few years. It has been emotionally draining for her. So, I hope the verdict offers her some respite.“

After a long-drawn divorce Karisma battle, Kapoor and her businessman husband Sunjay Kapur finally agreed on the modalities of their divorce in front of the Supreme Court on April 8.The consent terms include the custody of their children - Samaira and Kiaan which now rests with Karisma. The couple's Khar flat which was owned by Sunjay's father, late Surinder Kapur too has been transferred on Karisma's name.

Sunjay, however, has been granted visitation rights twice a month. He gets to stay with the kids for 15 days during their summer vacation. The children will divide their time between the parents for the rest of the holidays during the year.

We spoke to Karisma's father Randhir Kapoor, who was in a pensive mood. He says, “I don't know if it is a good or a bad thing, but it is certainly a sad moment for our family. The only silver lining in this is that the children will spend most part of the year with us. Karisma has been through a rough time in the last few years. It has been emotionally draining for her. So, I hope the verdict offers her some respite.“

It may be recalled that mud-slinging and too much media attention in the case had caused the apex court to intervene. The couple was directed to agree on terms of consent. Their former case of divorce by mutual consent had lapsed on November 27 2015, after which Sunjay had filed a unilateral petition for the custody of the children, in mid-December last year.

The actress had also filed an FIR at the Khar Police Station against her estranged husband and mother-in-law Rani Kapur, for mental harassment and domestic violence in February this year. Advocate Sanjog Parab, who was representing her on the domestic violence case, told us, “The FIR has been squashed with immediate effect by the Supreme Court.We have been given 15 days time to withdraw the domestic violence case.“

According to the verdict, there will no separate trust set up for the kids. Sunjay will have to buy bonds worth Rs 14 crore for the children, which will fetch a monthly interest of approximately Rs 10 lakh. Dr Aman Hingorani, Sunjay's counsel, revealed to us that the consent terms remain similar to the ones the parties had decided on in May 2014. “We had agreed to give the custody of the children and the Mumbai home to Karisma in 2014 itself. She had backed out then, but now has agreed to the same terms. We are not getting into any financials and bringing no payments in the picture right now. It will be a plain case of divorce by mutual consent now.“

When we asked Karisma's lawyer Mahesh Jethmalani, if Sunjay has been given the raw deal, he disagreed. “To those who feel that the verdict is skewed towards Karisma, one must know that when a man wants to divorce his wife, he has to pay a price for it. The monetary compensation is just an obligation of the father. Karisma's obligation includes caring and upkeepment of the children,“ he adds.

The case for divorce by mutual consent will be filed on June 13 in the Bandra Family Court.

Apart from giving Bollywood actor Karisma Kapoor and her estranged husband Sunjay Kapur, a month's time to settle their matrimonial dispute, the Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday also permitted the latter to meet his two children, Samaira and Kiaan on their respective birthdays, which fall on March 11 and 12.

Senior counsel Mahesh Jethmalani, who represents the actress, says, “Karisma has agreed to this order. Currently, the kids are having school holidays and Sunjay requested the court to take them for a vacation, which was denied. He then desired for an overnight access. But that too was denied. Later, SC passed an order that he could meet his children for their birthday either at Karisma's house or at the venue of the celebrations.“

Sunjay's lawyers Dr Aman Hingorani and Priya Hingorani add, “He is happy that the court has granted him permission to meet the kids.“

During the 45-minute chamber proceedings which took place on Tuesday, a bench of Justices AK Sikri and RK Agrawal spoke to the couple in the presence of their lawyers and suggested them to amicably reach a settlement and posted the case for hearing on April 8.

The bench also stated in their order that both the parties have, by and large, agreed on all the terms of their settlement. However, before that happens, a few modalities will be worked out.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday has given Bollywood actor Karisma Kapoor and her estranged husband Sunjay Kapur, the Delhi-based businessman, a month's time to settle their matrimonial dispute. A bench headed by Justice AK Sikri asked the couple to work out the modalities before the next hearing, which is going to take place on April 8. The couple was present during the hearing in Delhi. Karisma's counsel Mahesh Jethmalani says, “A settlement has been worked out, but currently I cannot divulge any details. The divorce petition, custody of their kids and other matters raised by them will be heard at the apex court, after which they will come up with a final verdict and dispose the case.“ Sunjay's lawyer Dr Aman Hingorani and Priya Hingorani add, “We are hopeful to reach a settlement during the next hearing. The court has given us one month to discuss and work out on all the matters in question.“

The high-profile divorce case of actress Karisma Kapoor and her industrialist husband Sunjay Kapur might come to a closure. After a series of accusations and counter-accusations, the Supreme Court (SC) summoned lawyers from both sides and directed them to settle the matter peacefully. The long drawn divorce battle took an ugly turn last week when Karisma filed a case of domestic violence against Sunjay and his mother Rani Surinder Kapur. It was a complaint of mental harassment and an FIR was registered under the Dowry Section - 498 (A): husband or relative of husband of a woman subjecting her to cruelty - and Section 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code.

The apex court's intervention is being looked as a positive sign for the estranged couple. Mahesh Jethmalani, Karisma's legal counsel, told BT, “The matter was called out by the SC and the couple has been asked to come to a settlement. The other party (Sunjay) had withdrawn his divorce plea by mutual consent on November 27, following which a unilateral petition was filed by his legal team. I suggest we wait till March 8 before making any further comments on this issue since the matter is sub judice.“

When we asked Priya Hingorani (Sunjay's lawyer) if the duo might file for a fresh plea for divorce by mutual consent, she said, “As of now, they are not planning anything on those lines. The SC has asked them to talk and resolve the matter. The next course of action can be decided only when they start talking.“

The next hearing of the case is on March 8.

Karisma Kapoor's fresh unilateral petition against her estranged husband, Sunjay Kapur, has given the case a new twist. While the couple is currently fighting a divorce case and custody of their two kids, Samaira and Kiaan, the actress approached the Khar police on Friday and filed a complaint of mental harassment against her husband Sunjay and mother-in-law Rani Kapur. She recorded her statement and registered an FIR under the Dowry Section -498 (A): husband or relative of husband of a woman subjecting her to cruelty - and Section 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code.

Later, she also filed a fresh case of domestic violence with the metropolitan magistrate in Bandra Family Court. Her lawyer Sanjog Parab says, “This is a unilateral case that comes under Section 19 in The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005. This case is completely separate from the ongoing divorce case.“ He adds, “It would be wrong to take the term 'domestic violence' in its literal sense. In this case, the kids are the primary concern. She wants to protect her children, so she has taken this step.“ According to this petition, the kids cannot be taken outside the jurisdiction of Mumbai, till the next hearing, which will take place on March 17.

Another point that needs to be noted is that the actress hasn't asked for money for herself. “We have put in a demand of `10 lakh a month for the children and not for Karisma's personal use. In fact, for one-and-a-half-years, Sunjay was paying some amount for the kids which he suddenly stopped,“ the lawyer says.

Though his legal counsel refused to comment, a source close to the business tycoon told us that they were expecting the fresh petition. “The divorce by mutual petition fell through because the couple wasn't agreeing on the terms of the welfare trust that Sunjay was setting up for his kids. Though Karisma hasn't demanded alimony or maintenance for herself yet, her demand for Rs 10 lakh equates to the same. Sunjay has stopped meting out monthly monetary compensation to Karisma for a while, and in the last few months, she has been supporting the kids herself.“

One of the other ad-interim reliefs sought by the actress in the petition is that she should not be asked to vacate the apartment in Khar. A source close to Sunjay adds, “In the months to fol low, the possible points the couple will battle over are primarily the lush Khar flat that was previously used by them. The flat is in the name of Sunjay's father Dr Surinder Kapur. Karisma might want to keep the flat for herself and the children, which could trigger fresh arguments. Since Karisma has spoken about 'character assassination' in her petition and also claimed that Sunjay is 'residing with another woman and her child', she, too, would be made answerable about her rumoured relationship with a busi nessman. Her case for custody is stronger since she is a woman and is presumed to take care of her children better. But Sunjay's side states that she doesn't allow him to meet the kids. The parties will agree on some kind of arrangement to get equal time with the children. Since the matter is subjudice, that's all we can divulge for now.“

Earlier this month, Karisma opposed her husband's application for the interim custody of their kids. The argument over custody will be heard on March 3, when the actress is also expected to file her reply to Sunjay's fresh divorce petition.

Yesterday was the first hearing Bandra in the Family Court after Sunjay Kapur and Karisma Kapoor's divorce by mutual consent fell through on November 27, 2015. The actress' lawyer Kranti Sathe took charge of things in court while Sunjay's lawyer Priya Hingorani sent her best man on the job. A series of allegations and counter allegations continued in front of Justice I J Nanda.

In December 2015, Karisma's husband had filed two separate petitions in court - one for their divorce and the other for interim custody of their children (Samaira and Kiaan). Amongst the things that were being argued on Tuesday, the primary one was that Karisma's counsel hadn't filed a reply to the divorce petition yet. The court has directed the actress' legal team to revert at the earliest. As far as the interim custody goes, Karisma has opposed it.Apart from hearing the divorce petition, the judge will also hear Karisma's reply to Sunjay's application for the interim custody of their kids. The court has slated its next hearing on March 3, five days before the kids' holidays begin on March 8.

A day after industrialist Kapur's Priya Hingorani told Sunjay lawyer Bombay Times the basis of the unilateral petition filed against actress Karisma Kapoor in their divorce case, the latter's lawyer, Kranti Sathe, lashed out at the reports. “Such things shouldn't be discussed outside the courtroom. Even court orders no longer disclose the names of petitioners; they refer to them as Party A and Party B. And here we are name-calling in public. What is the need for the other party to discuss the content of their petition? They just want people to form opinions. I don't think it is ethical or in the welfare of my client to discuss or retort. Staying quiet might even give way to more gossip but we choose to restrict our submissions to the court rather than get into such mudslinging,“ says Sathe.

Talking about the allegations of the actress poisoning the minds of her children - Samaira and Kiaan - against their father, she adds, “Sunjay's legal team has knocked at the door of justice and it should be kept like that. But clearly, he is speaking without considering how it can affect their children. The kids' psyche will take a hit from this sooner or later. I would request Sunjay and his team not to put their personal grievances on a clothesline for the world to see. Every case in the family court is used to such allegations and counter-allegations; there is nothing unnatural about this case. Let the court take it forward from here.“

The next hearing is on February 2 in the Bandra Family Court.

The twists in the Karisma Kapoor and Sunjay Kapur divorce saga is getting muckier by the day. Last week, the Delhi-based industrialist filed a fresh petition for divorce on grounds that 'his spouse has neither been a good wife nor a good daughter-in-law in their decade-old marriage'. Reportedly, he has also accused the actress of marrying him for his wealth. On his part, Karisma's father, Randhir Kapoor, counter-accused Sunjay of being a “third-class person“.

Sunjay's lawyer, Priya Hingorani refused to indulge in a war of words and commented, “We had to file a fresh divorce petition after the couple could granted time till February 2.“

While the matter is sub judice, Sunjay's lawyer added, “Karisma has used the children to demand money from my client. She is deliberately not allowing them to meet Sunjay. In the last hearing that happened on January 15, she wanted to bring them to court, but Sunjay was against it as it would have scarred their young minds and affected their psyche. She has been poisoning the children's minds against their father by telling them false stories. There have been instances when Samaira has said that she doesn't want to meet her father at all.“

The next hearing is on February 2 at the Bandra Family Court where Karisma's lawyer Kranti Sathe will file a reply to this petition.

When Bollywood actress Karisma Kapoor tied the knot on September 29, 2003 with topnotch Delhi industrialist Sunjay Kapur, the world at large was slightly sceptical about this match. To many, it looked like the actress had married on the rebound. She had just broken off her engagement with Abhishek Bachchan and she was hurting.

Today when her father Randhir Kapoor says, “From day one, I was against Karisma marrying Sunjay,“ his statement doesn't come as a surprise.

The couple filed for legal separation in the Bandra Family Court on May 23, 2014. Their impending divorce is just getting messier by the day and has opened up a new can of worms. In the latest turn of events, Sunjay's fresh petition claims that the actress married him for money. Needless to say, her family believes it is a very serious accusation to make. When we reached out to Karisma's father, Randhir Kapoor, he told us, “The whole world knows what kind of people they are. The fact that my daughter is getting a divorce is because we are not happy with that family. This third-class behaviour is expected only from a third-class person like Sunjay Kapur.“

In his fresh petition, Sunjay has reportedly accused Karisma of  'not being a good mother'. Reacting to the same, Randhir says, “Everyone knows Karisma has always been a good mother. Her husband has been living with another woman. I was against this marriage since day one. The matter is sub judice and hence, I can't comment further. Eventually, the entire truth will come out.“

Reports also state that Sunjay and his family were denied access to meet the kids. To this, Karisma's counsel Kranti Sathe retorted, “That is such an obnoxious thing to say. Before making such allegations, Sunjay and his legal team forget that his daughter is now 11 years old. To see such accusations against her mother in the newspapers will be such a blow to her. Things like these damage the psyche of young ones from broken families.“

With such details about the case constantly trickling out, Sathe questions how such news is getting leaked to the media. “The ground rule is that somebody's personal life is not for public consumption. People on the other side want to do everything possible to hit the headlines,“ says Sathe.

Echoing Randhir's sentiments on the fresh petition, Sathe summed up her client's stand, by saying, “We want to present our side of the story only in court now and not resort to such character assassination. All the allegations need to be validated with substantial evidence. Let the court take over the case and give a fair judgement.“

The fact that Karisma Kapoor's estranged husband and Delhi-based industrialist Sunjay Kapur filed for the custody of their kids - Samaira and Kiaan (aged 10 and five respectively) - didn't come as a surprise. After both parties withdrew their petitions for divorce on November 27, 2015, the custody battle was inevitable. The actress' lawyer, Kranti Sathe had hinted at the possibility of it when Bombay Times spoke to her after the duo withdrew their divorce by mutual consent.

Speaking about the new development in the case, Sathe says, “We have so far only heard about the petition. It was apparently filed a fortnight ago but we haven't received anything yet. We assume it is still pending in the court. We are completely in the dark about the content of the application filed by Sunjay's legal team. Even the petition to withdraw the divorce by mutual consent was first filed by him and then we withdrew ours. We will have to examine the grounds on which he is demanding the custody of the children. Sunjay has been spending time with the kids and even after the divorce by mutual petition fell through, he has been given access to them. He has met the children whenever they had the time and desire to meet, and he can continue to do so.“

Sunjay and Karisma got married on September 29, 2003. The couple filed for legal separation on May 23, 2014 in the Bandra Family Court.