The late businessman Sunjay Kapur’s mother, Rani Kapur, has offered further comments amid an ongoing family feud over his estate. Her comments come days after she alleged that she was coerced into signing documents in a moment of weakness, and after Sunjay’s widow, Priya Sachdev, was appointed as a ‘non-executive director’ at the family’s auto parts manufacturing company, Sona Comstar. In an interview with the news agency ANI, Rani Kapur said that she is uncertain about how her son died, implying that she has her suspicions. Sunjay died in June in a freak accident while playing polo, when he went into cardiac arrest after swallowing a bee. His last rites were performed in New Delhi.
Rani Kapur said, “I still don’t know what happened to my son. I’m old now, and I need closure before I go. I may be old and frail, but my memory of being with my husband when Sona was set up is strong. I remember the early days of Sona, built with care, sacrifice, and love. I’m here to remind the world that our family legacy must not be lost. It must be passed on as my husband always wanted it to be. Given my health and my age, I will not be making any further comments. My legal team will address everything necessary.”
Some days ago, she had alleged that she was “compelled to sign various documents without explanation” after her son’s death, and that “certain people” were positioning themselves as representatives of the family. Priya Sachdev was subsequently appointed a ‘non-executive director’ of Sona Comstar by the board. She has since changed her social media handle from ‘Priya Sachdev Kapur’ to ‘Priya Sunjay Kapur’. Her daughter from her previous marriage to Vikram Chatwal, Safira, has dropped her surname on social media as well.
Sunjay and Priya tied the knot in 2017, and had one son, Azarius. He was previously married to Bollywood star Karisma Kapoor, with whom he had two children, daughter Samaira and son Kiaan. In an interview mere weeks before his death, Priya spoke about their blended family. “Sunjay and I had many conversations. I told him, let’s invite Lolo for tea. That tea led to a dinner and eventually, she joined us on family holidays because the kids requested it. I did wonder – would she feel comfortable? Would I? Could I be myself in pajamas, sipping coffee? But after a few such gatherings, it all became very natural,” she said on the Kin and Kindness podcast.
Sunjay, on the other hand, had said on a podcast a few months before his death that he’d drawn a 10-year plan. “When I drew up my 10-year plan, I actually wrote down the broad strokes of work-related and non-work related, foundation-related… I flushed out 2025 to define what I will do. I’m not the sort of person who can sit around without a packed schedule. It’s a great luxury to be the master of your own time,” he said on the Indian Silicon Valley podcast.
The market cap of Sona Comstar is close to Rs 30,000 crore, and 72% of its shares are held by the public and 28% (Rs 8,200 crore) of its shares are held by its corporate promoter, Aureus Investments Private Limited. In a letter shared with the board ahead of an annual general meeting, Rani Kapur had written, “I was approached multiple times and compelled to sign various documents without explanation or even having time to read and understand the same. Despite being under immense mental and emotional distress, I was coerced into signing such documents behind locked doors… the contents of such documents have never been revealed to me. Please also take note that I have been totally denied access to my accounts and have been left to the mercy of a select few for survival. All this, in less than a month of my only son passing away. It is unfortunate that while the family and I are still in mourning, some people have chosen this as an opportune time to wrest control and usurp the family legacy.” Rani Kapur has claimed that her late husband, in a will, had made her the sole beneficiary of Sona Comstar before his death in 2015.
