Sunjay Kapur family battle turns uglier: Wife Priya Sachdev accuses his sister Mandhira of 'defamation'; moves court

NEW DELHI: The legal battle over the estate of late industrialist Sunjay Kapur has intensified after his wife, Priya Sachdev Kapur, filed a criminal defamation complaint against his sister, Mandhira Kapur Smith, and another individual.She alleged that a series of statements by her sister-in-law—spread across podcasts, social media, media interviews, and republished online content—amount to a “sustained and deliberate campaign to damage my reputation.”The complaint, filed before the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate at Delhi’s Patiala House Courts, contended that Mandhira Kapur Smith's remarks contain “false assertions, insinuations and personal attacks presented as established facts, despite the issues being sub judice, thereby causing serious reputational harm.”Priya Kapur's lawyer Maninder Singh submitted that such conduct "squarely attracts the offence of criminal defamation under the applicable law."The filing of the defamation case follows recent developments in related proceedings, in which the court sought a response from actor Karisma Kapoor, Sunjay Kapur’s former wife, on a plea filed by Priya Kapur seeking certified copies of divorce-related court records involving the late industrialist.

Amid this backdrop, Mandhira Kapur Smith made public remarks to the media questioning Priya Kapur’s “conduct and motives.”She stated that if her brother had intended to share certain information, he would have done so during the marriage, and added that divorce proceedings are confidential, especially when children are involved.Priya Kapur has alleged that these statements are part of the "defamatory material" cited in her complaint and has approached the court seeking criminal action for the alleged damage to her reputation.Sunjay Kapur passed away in June last year at the age of 53 after collapsing during a polo match in the UK. His first marriage was to designer Nandita Maithani, and at the time of his death, his net worth was estimated at around $1.3 billion (Rs 10,300 crore).Priya Kapur was previously married to hotelier Vikram Chatwal.