The inheritance dispute over late businessman Sunjay Kapur's ₹30,000 crore estate took a dramatic turn in the Delhi High Court on Friday. Senior advocate Mahesh Jethmalani, representing the children of actor Karisma Kapoor, accused Priya Sachdev Kapur - Sunjay's widow - of behaving like the“cruel stepmother” from the classic fairytale Cinderella.

Jethmalani alleged that Priya Sachdev had acted in a manner that could limit the inheritance due to Karisma's children. He pointed out that Priya had already received around 60% of the total assets, transferred about 12% to her own son, and controlled nearly 75% of the family trust. The senior lawyer argued that she was in an undue hurry to assert control, even sending letters regarding Benami forms, typically used to determine company beneficiaries.

According to Jethmalani, this haste suggested an intent to restrict the rightful share of Sunjay Kapur's children from his previous marriage.

Questions Over Validity of the Will and Alleged Manipulation

Raising doubts about the authenticity of the will, Jethmalani questioned how a person of Sunjay Kapur's stature could have created such an important document without legal counsel. He confirmed that the will was typed and claimed it contained several inconsistencies and loopholes.

The senior advocate remarked that the will appeared to have been altered during a holiday Sunjay took with his son, further alleging that an individual involved in the modification became a company director just a day after Sunjay's funeral. Jethmalani emphasized that forging a will constitutes a serious criminal offence punishable by life imprisonment, adding that the matter undermined the credibility of the justice system.

The case, filed by Karisma Kapoor's children seeking their rightful share of their late father's personal estate, continues to unfold. The Delhi High Court has adjourned the hearing, scheduling the next session for October 16.

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