‘We All Come With Empty Hands’: Supreme Court Urges Sunjay Kapur Family Not To Aggravate Dispute

Last Updated:May 14, 2026, 17:53 IST

The court said it will review the progress of mediation already initiated in the matter and warned the parties against actions that could prejudice the process

The Supreme Court of India on Thursday urged restraint in the ongoing family dispute over the estate of late industrialist Sunjay Kapur, telling the contesting sides not to take steps that could derail court-ordered mediation.

Hearing a plea filed by Sunjay Kapur’s mother Rani Kapur against her daughter-in-law Priya Kapur, the court declined to stay a scheduled board meeting of Raghuvanshi Investment Private Limited (RIPL), which controls a significant portion of the disputed assets.

However, it directed that key agenda items, including the appointment of two independent directors and changes to bank account signatories, should not be taken up at the meeting.

A Bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and Ujjal Bhuyan said it will review the progress of mediation already initiated in the matter and warned the parties against actions that could prejudice the process.

“We have already requested the mediator to commence proceedings. For now, we expect the parties not to do anything that directly affects mediation," the Bench observed, adding that prolonging the dispute would only lead to a “long-drawn battle".

Referring to the age of Rani Kapur, the court made a pointed appeal for settlement.

“She is an 80-year-old woman. We all come with empty hands and we go with empty hands. All we carry is our soul. There has to be a genuine will to settle," the Bench said, urging the family members to approach mediation with an open mind.

The dispute centres on the RK Family Trust, which Rani Kapur has described as a fraudulent instrument through which she claims to have been stripped of her estate, legacy and home.

While the trust purportedly names her as settlor and trustee, she has alleged that the sole beneficiaries are Priya Kapur and others, excluding her and the rest of the Kapur family.

Rani Kapur’s immediate grievance before the court related to a May 8 notice issued by RIPL convening a board meeting on May 18, barely a day after the Supreme Court referred the matter to mediation before former Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud.

At the outset, the Bench questioned the filing of repeated applications after the mediation order. “Once we send a matter to mediation, we expect the parties to participate sincerely," it said.

Senior advocate Navin Pahwa, appearing for Rani Kapur, argued that the board meeting was intended to marginalise her completely. He contended that her shareholding had been transferred into the trust without her knowledge or consent when she was unwell.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing the respondents, told the court that the Reserve Bank of India had directed the appointment of independent directors following an inspection.

The court said it would take note of the regulatory requirement and ordered that statutory authorities need not insist on compliance until further orders.

The case traces back to claims by Rani Kapur that after she suffered a stroke in 2017, her late son and daughter-in-law exploited her condition to transfer assets into the family trust.

She has alleged that she was made to sign documents, including blank papers, under the guise of routine administration.

The dispute intensified after Sunjay Kapur’s death in June last year, with Rani Kapur alleging that Priya Kapur moved swiftly to take control of key Sona Group entities, leaving her with little or no share in the family wealth.

Parallel proceedings over the estate are pending before the Delhi High Court. On April 30, the High Court restrained Priya Kapur from creating third-party rights over certain assets, following a plea by the children of actor Karisma Kapoor, Sunjay Kapur’s former wife.

Before the Supreme Court, Rani Kapur has sought an order maintaining status quo on the alienation of all trust properties.

The court has repeatedly indicated that mediation offers the most constructive way forward in a dispute involving close family members and an elderly litigant.

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