Supreme Court to Hear Fresh Plea in Rs 30,000-Crore Kapur Family Dispute Amid Allegations of Corporate Control Moves During Mediation

May 12, 2026 : The Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to hear a fresh application in the ongoing Rs 30,000-crore Kapur family dispute after allegations surfaced that major corporate decisions were being taken despite the matter having already been referred to mediation by the Apex Court.

A Bench of Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice KV Viswanathan took note of submissions made by Senior Advocates Navin Pahwa and Vaibhav Gaggar, along with Advocate-on-Record Smriti Churiwal, appearing for Rani Kapur. The dispute concerns the administration and control of the Rani Kapur Family Trust and related entities, including Raghuvanshi Investment Private Limited (RIPL), which is said to hold substantial portions of the Kapur family estate valued at nearly Rs 30,000 crore.

During the hearing, Senior Advocate Pahwa informed the Court that soon after the Supreme Court referred the matter to mediation on May 7, RIPL issued a notice on May 8 convening a Board meeting for May 18. According to the petitioner, the proposed agenda included the appointment of two independent directors, changes to authorised bank signatories and decisions related to the company’s investments and financial operations.

Pahwa alleged that the move was initiated at the instance of Priya Kapur to consolidate control over the disputed estate. He argued that taking such steps while mediation proceedings were underway violated the spirit of the Supreme Court’s earlier directions and could irreversibly alter the status quo.

The petitioner further contended that the respondents were citing RIPL’s status as a Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC) and alleged Reserve Bank of India compliance obligations merely as a justification for proceeding with the Board meeting. It was argued that permitting such decisions during mediation would undermine the court-supervised settlement process.

During the proceedings, Justice Pardiwala orally observed that the family conflict had assumed extraordinary dimensions, remarking that the dispute had entered an arena where the “Mahabharat would appear very small.” The Court, however, clarified that the mediation process would remain limited to the family members involved in the dispute.

Senior Advocate Gopal Jain, appearing for RIPL, opposed the allegations and maintained that the proposed Board meeting was a routine statutory exercise necessary for corporate governance and RBI compliance requirements applicable to NBFCs. He denied any attempt to interfere with or dilute the mediation proceedings.

After hearing both sides briefly, the Bench agreed to examine the issue and listed the fresh application for hearing on May 14.

The Supreme Court had earlier appointed former Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud as mediator in an effort to facilitate an amicable settlement within the Kapur family. The Court had recommended mediation keeping in view the advanced age of Rani Kapur and expressed hope for a peaceful resolution of the dispute.

In her Special Leave Petition, Rani Kapur has challenged three Delhi High Court orders passed on January 29, February 10 and March 23, 2026. She alleged that despite repeated urgent applications seeking protection of her assets, the High Court merely issued notices and deferred the matter without granting interim relief.

The petition further claimed that the Rani Kapur Family Trust was fraudulently created in 2017 and that assets belonging to her late husband were transferred into the trust without her informed consent. Invoking provisions of the Indian Contract Act, 1872 and the Indian Trusts Act, 1882, the plea argued that the trust arrangement was unconscionable and executed under undue influence.

In a related development, the Supreme Court had recently sought the response of actor Karisma Kapoor on an application filed by Priya Kapur seeking certified copies of records relating to the divorce proceedings between Kapoor and her former husband, late industrialist Sunjay Kapur.