Just over a month after the sudden demise of Sona Comstar Chairman Sunjay Kapur, a high-stakes battle over his Rs 30,000 crore legacy has erupted. His mother, Rani Kapur, has taken on the board of the Gurugram-based auto component giant, accusing unnamed individuals of trying to usurp control of the family-promoted firm. The dispute has shaken investor confidence, with Sona Comstar’s stock plunging 4.28 per cent on the BSE on Friday.
The clash, marked by a tense power struggle between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, intensified within the Kapur family as the company went ahead with its Annual General Meeting (AGM) on July 25, reportedly against the wishes of former chairperson and Sunjay Kapur’s mother, Rani Kapur.
Rani Kapur’s allegations
In a strongly worded letter addressed to the company’s Board, Rani Kapur, widow of Sona Group founder Surinder Kapur and a self-proclaimed major shareholder, accused unidentified individuals of attempting to seize control of Sona Comstar in the wake of her son’s death under “highly suspicious and unexplained circumstances” in the UK on June 12.
Claiming to be the sole beneficiary of her late husband Surinder Kapur’s 2015 will, Rani asserted she is the rightful majority shareholder and the only authority to represent the family’s interest in the company. She alleged coercion and duress in signing documents following her son’s death and stated that her mental vulnerability was exploited while adding that the documents were being misued.
“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,” she wrote. She further alleged that the contents of the documents she was coerced into signing were never disclosed to her and that she has been denied access to her own bank accounts after her son’s death. She added that she has been left at the “mercy” of a few individuals for her survival.
Disputed shareholding and company response
Sona Comstar has contested Rani Kapur’s claims. In an official statement, the company clarified that as per its records, Rani Kapur has not held any shareholding since at least 2019. The company further stated that the promoter entity, Aureus Investments Private Limited (AIPL), holds 28.02 per cent of shares and had previously declared Sunjay Kapur as the sole beneficial owner of the RK Family Trust, a significant shareholder in AIPL.
The company refuted allegations that any documents were obtained from Rani Kapur after Sunjay’s death, dismissing her claims of coercion.
What Lawyer said?
However, Rani Kapur, in her letter to the board, claims that she is the majority shareholder of the company by virtue of her late husband Surinder Kapur’s will, her lawyer Vaibhav Gaggar told NDTV Profit.
He added that she wants to get to the depth of the matter, and she is yet to know the exact cause of death. “It did not seem to be a natural death at all. A number of events happened after Sunjay’s death that cannot be counted as natural at all.”
When asked why Rani Kapur is not naming those individuals, he said, “She would have named them if she wanted to.”
“There are a couple of statements in the press release that are quite unfortunate. Legally speaking, there are answers to all of them. What struck me the most, more than the legal aspects, is how they were able to sidestep and show no concern for a grieving mother,” he further added.
Further deepening the mystery behind Kapur’s death, Gaggar said, “What Rani Kapur is saying is very clearly that there’s something suspicious about what happened before, during, and after his death.”
Disputed board appointments
Despite Rani Kapur’s written request to postpone the AGM by two weeks and not proceed with board appointments, the company moved ahead. On July 25, Sona Comstar appointed Sunjay Kapur’s third wife, Priya Sachdev Kapur, as a Non-Executive Director based on a nomination from AIPL.
Two days prior, the board had unanimously appointed Jeffrey Mark Overly as chairman. Overly, an independent director since 2021, brings over four decades of experience in operations and supply chain management, including senior positions at Blackstone Group, Kohler Company, and General Motors.
‘Saas-bahu’ drama
With both sides maintaining opposing stances, the matter now appears set for legal resolution. Questions remain around Rani Kapur’s actual stake in AIPL and the RK Family Trust, and whether the will she refers to holds legal weight in determining company ownership.
Rani Kapur’s warning in her letter was clear, that if the board chose to proceed without her, it would be considered a deliberate act “to the detriment of the company and the family.”
Sona Comstar, established in 1995, is a leading mobility technology company with a global footprint, serving major automotive markets across India, the USA, Europe, and Asia. As of June 2025, its valuation stands at Rs 30,000 crore ($3.6 billion).
Sunjay Kapur, who passed away in England at 53, was a well-known industrialist. He was previously married to actress Karisma Kapoor and later to entrepreneur Priya Sachdev.