The Delhi High Court on Friday heard the petition of late businessman Sunjay Kapur’s widow, Priya Sachdev, in her ongoing battle over her husband’s estate with the children of his ex-wife, actor Karisma Kapoor. Priya had urged the court to submit the details of Sunjay’s estate in a sealed cover and not in the public domain. However, Karisma’s legal team countered, calling it a cloak to seize the said assets.

Sunjay and Karisma’s two children, Samara and Kiaan Raj, have sued Priya Sachdev, claiming she has cut them out of their father’s estate. Karisma is representing them in the case. After the Delhi High Court ordered Priya to disclose Sunjay’s assets, she applied to be allowed to do it confidentially.

Karisma’s laywer alleges secrecy is a cloak

Appearing for Karisma in the hearing, advocate Mahesh Jethmalani questioned the need for secrecy. “Repeatedly, there has been an attempt to shield this will. At the end, when the will is about to be disclosed, this application has suddenly come. Contents will help me know what has been left out. In this case, confidentiality is a cloak by which you fritter away the assets,” he said in the court.

Questioning the will, which allocates 6% of Sunjay’s assets to Karisma’s children, Jethmalani added, “I’m highly suspicious of its authenticity.”

He also claimed that, in the garb of secrecy, Priya has been appropriating Sunjay’s assets for herself and emptying bank accounts that are supposed to have Karisma’s children’s money. “Between 22 and 26 August, a flurry of activity took place; assets were appropriated by the defendant to herself (Priya Kapur). As far as shares were concerned, they were appropriated by her. A few bank accounts which are in the will have been emptied. This is the conduct of a person who wants confidentiality.”

High Court allows sealed cover submission

Priya Kapur’s lawyer said that they only want to shield the details of the estate from entering the public domain. In the end, both parties agreed not to disclose the details of the estate to the media. The Delhi High Court allowed Priya to submit the details in a sealed cover, provided a copy is provided to the other parties—Karisma’s children and Sunjay’s mother, Rani Kapur.

Sunjay Kapur estate case

Sunjay Kapur was married to Karisma from 2003-16. They have two kids together – Samara and Kiaan Raj. Sunjay then married Priya Sachdev in 2017. They have a son. Sunjay died in June in London after a heart attack while playing polo. Priya produced a document in August that she claimed was his final will. This is being contested by Karisma’s children as well as Sunjay’s mother.