Things have taken an ugly turn in the fight over late businessman Sanjay Kapur’s Rs 30,000 crore estate. On Saturday, his widow, Priya Kapur, decided to hit back by filing a criminal defamation case against the late businessman’s sister, Mandhira Kapur Smith. Priya claims that Mandhira has been running a non-stop campaign on social media to destroy her name.
A report by Bar and Bench says that Priya is fed up with videos and posts on YouTube, Instagram, and X. She says these posts are full of “false allegations” meant to make people hate and mock her. The complaint even mentions a specific podcast where Mandhira supposedly hinted that Priya’s marriage to Sanjay wasn’t even legitimate and was full of trouble.
Senior Advocate Maninder Singh, representing Priya Kapur, had earlier in an interview with Financial Express.com revealed that Mandhira Kapur had given “multiple statements, video podcasts, interviews, and press statements,” and launched “defamatory allegations since his (Sunjay) death.”
Mandhira fires back: “I’m telling the truth”
In an exclusive interview with HT City, Mandhira Kapur Smith didn’t hold back. She stood firm on everything she has posted online. According to her, she isn’t defaming anyone because she is only talking about things that are already being discussed in court.
“All of what I said is mentioned in court, how am I defaming?” Mandhira told us. “Anything I have lied about, let me know, because I can guarantee I’ve lied about nothing.”
She also found it strange that she found out about the lawsuit on Instagram before she even got an official notice. “The funny thing is the media got it before me! These are all tactics to distract me,” she said.
Mental toll on family
Sanjay’s mother Rani, his ex-wife Karisma Kapoor, and Karisma’s children are all in a legal battle with Priya. They are all fighting over who actually owns the Rs 30,000 crore family fortune.
Mandhira says her mother, Rani, is heartbroken by what is happening. She says it’s painful to see the woman who built the family empire left with nothing in her name.
“I sit with my mother every day, and she says, ‘get everything back, your father and I built this,'” Mandhira shared. “It’s horrible. My mother doesn’t have anything on her name today. Imagine what she is going through.”
Why now?
Some people are asking why Mandhira waited until after Sanjay’s death in 2025 to speak up. Some even think she just wants the money. Mandhira shuts that down, saying her only goal is to protect what her parents built. She insists the plan was always for the inheritance to be shared by everyone, the sisters, the mother, and all of Sanjay’s children.
“No one was trying to cut Priya out, she is the one who has done all this,” Mandhira claimed. “You don’t take it all and walk away. We are going to fight for what is my mother’s first while she is alive.”
She also shared that she is still very close to Karisma Kapoor and her kids, Samaira and Kiaan. She says they are all grieving together and trying to protect the legacy of her father, Surinder Kapoor.
“The kids have lost their best friend. My mother lost her son,” she said. As for the legal threats, she isn’t backing down. “You want to play this game? We can keep playing it. I have got nothing to lose.”
Financial Express.com has sent queries to Priya Kapur’s legal counsel and is awaiting a response. The same will be added once received.