‘This is Cinderella’s stepmother…’: Sunjay Kapur-Karisma Kapoor’s kids call Priya Kapur out in ₹30,000-cr feud
Sunjay Kapur’s children alleged that Priya Kapur sidelined them while securing control of their father’s estate, like the stepmum in the fairytale, Cinderella
The inheritance dispute over late businessman Sunjay Kapur’s assets has taken a dramatic turn, with Karisma Kapoor’s children accusing Priya Sachdev Kapur of giving them the vindictive “Cinderella stepmother” treatment. Sunjay Kapur’s children with his second wife, actor Karisma Kapoor — Samaira and Kiaan — have accused Priya Kapur of moving assets to her own children while trying to cut down their rightful shares.
The ₹30,000-crore inheritance battle, which began last month, has now reached the Delhi High Court, where Senior Advocate Mahesh Jethmalani claimed that the will presented by Priya was forged to exclude Samaira and Kiaan, and secure sole control of his estate.
Most recent developments in the case
At the centre of the controversy is a will dated March 21, 2025, which allegedly bequeaths Sunjay Kapur’s entire personal estate to his third wife, Priya Sachdev Kapur. The children have challenged its authenticity, calling it the result of “a criminal conspiracy” among Priya and three associates. The children have filed a partition suit seeking a share of their father’s assets, and Jethmalani was arguing for interim relief to stop Priya Kapur from creating any third-party claims on them.
He alleged that Sunjay himself “had no role in his own will”, claiming that Sunjay was a highly accomplished businessman who “pride[d] himself on his diction and vocabulary and articulation,” would never have appointed an executor without informing or seeking permission from the person he trusted to handle his estate. “This is an unnatural conduct and a suspicious circumstance,” he added.
He further said, “When I read the Will it is such a clumsy forgery that I dare say that no lawyer worth his soul would take credit for the creation of that will…it is impossible that Sunjay Kapur bequeathing such a large estate in particular would not have consulted a lawyer and got the will drafted by him...this question is not answered, who drafted it? It is not a lawyer”.
On the court’s query, Jethmalani noted that the Will is a typed document and argued that the testator’s (person who creates and signs a last will and testament) personality and habits are relevant. He added that the plaintiffs were given no explanation for why the executor wasn’t consulted first or why no lawyer was involved, emphasising that an executor’s role is not just to inquire with the propounder but to collect assets and oversee probate.
On who prepared the will, he said, “It is a Microsoft Word file called Sunjay Kapur's Will...Will was last modified on March 17. Between 15 to 18 March, Sunjay was on holiday with his son. He cut short his holiday and came back on the 17th because his mother fell ill, and this Will is modified on March 17. But by whom? Not by Sunjay”.
Jethmalani further questioned the conduct of Shradha Suri Marwah, the named executor of the will, asserting that “the person executing the assets was not the executor but Priya herself.” He further said that the Word file with the Will was stored on someone else's device, “who had modified it on March 17 unilaterally,” and this person was later “ominously” made a director in a company after Priya became Managing Director in June. The other witness was also rewarded with positions in companies linked to the Kapur estate. Additionally, neither witness, he said, has filed an affidavit confirming the will’s validity, a silence that “makes the document even more suspicious.”
"This is Cinderella’s stepmother….”
According to court filings, the will leaves Karisma Kapoor’s children with a residual stake of barely 26% in the family trust, while Priya and her minor son Azarius command control of nearly three-quarters of the assets. “The tearing hurry was to appropriate everything before the children could act,” Jethmalani told the bench. “This is no benign stepmother; this is Cinderella’s stepmother.”
‘Cinderella Stepmother’ quickly became the day’s most-quoted line in the courtroom. Advocate Jethmalani alleged that Priya had behaved like “an evil Cinderella mother” to Samaira and Kiaan, scheming to sideline them, while consolidating wealth and power within her own household. He also accused Priya of keeping the estate shrouded in secrecy by insisting that all family members sign non-disclosure agreements before talking about the assets. “If the will were genuine, why the need for NDAs? Why the rush?” he asked.
Priya Kapur's counsel said..
Counsel Rajiv Nayar, representing Priya Sachdev Kapur, categorically denied the allegations, maintaining that the will was “executed and attested properly, long before Sunjay Kapur’s death.” He argued that the suit filed by the children was “not maintainable” and that the document’s authenticity was supported by contemporaneous evidence.
About the dispute
The dispute traces back to June 12, 2025, when Sunjay Kapur, chairman of the diversified Sona Group and a familiar face on India’s polo circuit, collapsed during a match in England and died shortly afterwards. In the weeks following his death, Priya initially claimed that all assets were held in the RK Family Trust and that no will existed. Only in late July did she produce the March 21 document, which the children now describe as “forged and fabricated.”
Verdict of today's hearing
Justice Singh, after opening the sealed cover that contained the original document and an asset list, observed that the list bore no signature and directed Priya to re-file it with an affidavit. The court will continue hearing Jethmalani’s arguments on October 13 before the defence presents its case.
