Sunjay Kapur family feud escalates: Day after mediation suggestion, Priya Kapur accuses mother-in-law of perjury

THe fellowship feud o'er Sunjay Kapur's testament has intensified o'er ₹30,000 crore destiny with Priya Kapur, the third wife of the late businessman Sunjay Kapur, accusing her mother-in-law, Rani Kapur, of perjury.The tensions flared between the members of Sunjay's family during a hearing in the Delhi high court on Wednesday.Replying to a civil suit filed by Rani Kapur, who alleged that the RK Family Trust, or Rani Kapur Family Trust, was used to unlawfully appropriate her assets, Priya Kapur contended that her mother-in-law had “played a fraud on the court” and sought dismissal of the case against the Trust.“Yesterday the court suggested mediation and urged Priya to take proactive steps… and today she is filing perjury charges against an 80-year-old,” Rani Kapur’s lawyer told the bench.Also Read | ‘God's given you wealth’: HC asks if Priya Kapur, MIL's battle for Sunjay Kapur's trust can be sorted through mediationWhat did the High Court say?The allegation came a day after the High Court expressed concern over the family feud.The judge asked in court if the matter could be sent to mediation.“It’s a very sorry state of affairs. D No. 1 (Priya Kapur) should honour the plaintiff (Rani Kapur). All the parties are in pain, and they are grieving in one of the other forms. All of you have suffered losses, and you are suffering even now. God has given you financial wealth, and you all should live a life in a good manner,” said the bench.The bench also added, “All of you should try to respect the relations. D No 1 should also see that at the end of the day, it was the plaintiff’s husband who founded everything, not only the plaintiff, but also the other children and the grandchildren should share that booty. Families are involved, but the way forward is that you all should resolve the dispute in a peaceful manner; the blessing should not turn into a curse.”The bench issued notice seeking Rani Kapur’s response within four weeks, stating that a rejoinder may be filed within two weeks thereafter.Priya Kapur’s application argued that the civil suit amounted to a gross abuse of process, alleging that Rani Kapur had misled the court by lying and concealing material facts.Rani Kapur, who last year claimed she had been coerced into signing documents while grieving her son’s death, has asked the court to declare the trust “the result of fraud, forgery, and undue influence”. She also sought consequential reliefs, including dissolution of the trust and restitution of assets.More details of the caseAccording to the suit, Rani Kapur is the sole beneficiary and legatee of the estate of her late husband, Surinder Kapur, founder and promoter of the Sona Group, who died in June 2015. His will was probated in January 2016 without objection from Sunjay Kapur.The suit further alleges that after suffering a stroke in September 2017, Rani Kapur became physically and emotionally dependent on her son and Priya Kapur, who allegedly diverted her assets into the RK Family Trust without her consent.Both sides, including Karisma Kapoor and her children, Sunjay Kapur’s children from his second marriage have exchanged accusations of deception as the legal battle intensifies.In early December, Rani Kapur accused Priya Kapur of concealing her son’s wealth, questioning claims that he had only ₹1.7 crore in cash and no investments despite earning a reported ₹60 crore salary.Sunjay Kapur, 53, died while playing polo in London on June 12 last year. While the death was initially reported as a cardiac arrest, there were suggestions he may have suffered an anaphylactic shock.