Sunjay Kapur Inheritance Row: SC Grants Interim Relief to Mother Rani Kapur

• The Supreme Court has stayed select agenda items of a board meeting involving RIPL, a key promoter-linked NBFC in the Sona BLW dispute

• The order comes amid an ongoing inheritance and trust battle between Rani Kapur and Priya Kapur

• The court has also urged the family to resolve the matter through mediation

The Supreme Court on Thursday granted interim relief to Rani Kapur in the ongoing family dispute over the Sona BLW promoter structure, staying key agenda items of an upcoming board meeting of Raghuvanshi Investments Private Ltd (RIPL), a non-banking financial company (NBFC) linked to the promoter group.

The court restrained RIPL from proceeding with proposals related to the appointment of independent directors and changes in authorised bank signatories. However, it did not halt the board meeting itself, which is scheduled for May 18 in Gurugram. The bench observed that such decisions could potentially affect the ongoing court-monitored mediation process.

RIPL holds a 27% stake in Aureus Investment, which in turn owns nearly 28% of Sona BLW Precision Forgings.

The case before the Supreme Court is part of a larger dispute between the mother and widow of late Sunjay Kapur, who died during a polo match in England in June 2025. Following his death, both public and legal battles emerged over his personal wealth, which was estimated at around $1.2 billion (approximately ₹10,300 crore), according to Forbes.

Supreme Court Urges Mediation

During the hearing, the Supreme Court questioned why the dispute had returned to court despite being referred to mediation, as reported by Bar and Bench. Justice JB Pardiwala reportedly asked the parties to allow the mediation process to continue without disruption and cautioned against steps that could escalate the conflict further.

The court noted that once a matter is sent to mediation, parties are expected not to take actions that force counter-litigation. It also indicated that regulatory or statutory compliance should not override the mediation process at this early stage. The bench urged both sides to explore an amicable resolution and highlighted the sensitive nature of the dispute.

What Rani Kapur Claims

The dispute originates from a family inheritance and trust battle involving Rani Kapur, widow of late Dr Surinder Kapur, founder of the Sona Group. She has alleged that she was excluded from control over family assets through what she claims is a fraudulent family trust arrangement.

According to her plea, assets were transferred without her informed consent after she suffered a stroke in 2017, with documents allegedly executed under questionable circumstances.

She has also challenged a May 8 notice issued by RIPL calling for the board meeting shortly after the Supreme Court referred the matter to mediation led by former Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud.

What Priya Kapur and RIPL Say

Counsel for Priya Kapur and RIPL argued that the board meeting agenda was being misrepresented as a control attempt. They maintained that RIPL, as a non-banking financial company, is bound by regulatory requirements issued by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

They said RBI directions following a February inspection required the company to form committees and make governance-related changes by a specified deadline. They further argued that routine compliance measures were necessary for continued functioning and should not be stalled, stressing that statutory obligations cannot be indefinitely delayed.