Sunjay Kapur’s Mother and Wife at Centre of ₹30,000-Crore Succession Feud: All You Need to Know

The sudden death of industrialist Sunjay Kapur during a polo match in England on June 12 has triggered a bitter legal and familial battle involving his mother, Rani Kapur, and his third wife, Priya Sachdev Kapur—centered around control of the ₹30,000-crore global auto components firm, Sona BLW Precision Forgings Ltd (Sona Comstar).

Mother Alleges Coercion, Questions Director Appointment

Rani Kapur, Sunjay’s mother, has alleged that she was forced to sign documents under duress following her son’s unexpected death. In a letter dated July 24, she urged the company’s board to halt its Annual General Meeting (AGM), claiming she represents the Kapur family’s stake in the company. While she did not name names, her opposition to the appointment of certain directors was widely seen as a veiled objection to the induction of Sunjay’s wife, Priya Sachdev Kapur, onto the board.

Priya Sachdev Kapur Joins Sona Comstar Board

Despite objections, the AGM was held on July 25. The company asserted that Rani Kapur has not been a shareholder since 2019, and proceeded to appoint Priya Sachdev Kapur as a non-executive director, based on a nomination by Aureus Investments Pvt Ltd (AIPL), Sona Comstar’s promoter entity.

The company also denied coercing Rani Kapur, stating, “No documents have been signed or obtained from Rani Kapur by the company following the passing of Sunjay Kapur.”

Rani Kapur Cites Family Will, Alleges Power Grab

Rani Kapur claims she is the sole beneficiary of her late husband Surinder Kapur’s 2015 will, which, according to her, grants her majority ownership of the Sona Group. She accused unnamed individuals of using the period of mourning to “wrest control and usurp the family legacy.”

However, the company countered that a 2019 declaration named Sunjay Kapur as the sole beneficial owner of the RK Family Trust, which holds a significant share in AIPL, effectively making him the company’s controlling stakeholder until his death.

Suspicion Cast Over Death

In her letter, Rani Kapur also described her son’s death as “highly suspicious and unexplained.” Initial reports stated that Sunjay suffered a heart attack during a polo match in Windsor, possibly triggered after a bee flew into his mouth. The incident, while labeled a freak accident, has now become part of the wider conflict.

A Complex Family Legacy

Sunjay Kapur, who had a net worth estimated at over ₹10,000 crore, leaves behind a tangled legacy. He was married three times—first to designer Nandita Mahtani, then to actor Karisma Kapoor (with whom he had two children, Samaira and Kiaan), and most recently to Priya Sachdev, with whom he had a son, Azarias. He is also survived by his mother Rani and sisters Mandhira Kapur Smith and Superna Kapur Motwane.

Following Sunjay’s death, the Sona Comstar board named Jeffrey Mark Overly as its new chairman on June 23.

As the legal wrangling intensifies, the future of one of India’s top auto components manufacturers—and the legacy of the Kapur family—hangs in the balance.