NEW DELHI: Priya Kapur, late businessman Sunjay Kapur’s wife, has moved the Delhi High Court seeking Rs 20 crore in damages from her sister-in-law Mandhira Kapur Smith for allegedly defaming her.
Priya, who earlier filed a criminal defamation complaint against Smith before a city court, has filed the separate civil suit before the high court, which is likely to come up for hearing in the coming days.
In the suit, filed on February 1, Priya has claimed that Smith made the statements and allegations “injurious to her reputation” on a podcast “in the public domain”. The suit has also arrayed host Pooja Chaudhari of InControversial podcast as a respondent in the suit.
As per the suit, Smith allegedly made statements in the podcast portraying Priya as an outsider who had no legitimate right to represent or control the Kapur family legacy, estate, or business affairs. The suit claimed that Smith allegedly asserted that the family’s wealth and inheritance belonged exclusively to the “bloodline” and her children, while accusing Priya of attempting to “take over” the legacy and sidelining Sunjay’s family members.
The suit states that Smith alleged that Priya had improperly gained financial benefits and influence after Sunjay’s death and repeatedly framed Priya as someone dishonestly asserting authority over the family’s assets and identity.
The suit has come despite the high court earlier suggesting to all parties involved in Sunjay’s estate dispute to consider resolving the issue through mediation.