Why Did a Delhi HC Judge Recuse from Rani Kapur’s Plea Against a ‘Fraudulent’ Family Trust?
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New Delhi, Jan 28 (NationPress) A judge from the Delhi High Court on Wednesday stepped back from adjudicating a petition filed by Rani Kapur, the mother of the late businessman Sunjay Kapur. This plea requests the annulment of a “fraudulent and illegal” trust that reportedly stripped her of her entire estate and family legacy, including governance over crucial Sona Group companies.
The civil suit was presented before Justice Vikas Mahajan, who opted not to hear the case and instructed that it be rescheduled for discussion before another bench tomorrow.
The 80-year-old widow seeks both declaratory and consequential relief to have the alleged RK Family Trust/Rani Kapur Family Trust deemed null and void, along with a permanent injunction preventing the defendants from acting upon or utilizing the trust in any manner.
According to the legal complaint, Kapur is identified as the sole beneficiary of her late husband, Dr. Surinder Kapur, an industrialist who passed away in 2015, leaving his movable and immovable assets to her via a will that was validated by the Bombay High Court in 2016.
The lawsuit claims that despite this, her entire estate was covertly redirected into a new trust without her awareness or consent. “The plaintiff, a senior citizen, has been defrauded of her entire estate, legacy, and belongings through a complex network of illegal acts, forgery, and undue influence,” the suit alleges, citing collusion among several defendants and her late son, Sunjay Kapur.
It further states that she was repeatedly coerced into signing documents, including blank papers, under the false assurance that these actions aligned with her wishes. “At no point was the plaintiff made aware that she was being stripped of her entire estate or excluded as a beneficiary,” the suit contends.
“The plaintiff has never knowingly executed such a trust, nor would she ever consent to a structure that renders her penniless during her lifetime,” it adds. The complaint also asserts that within days of Sunjay Kapur’s passing, control of critical group companies was seized without her knowledge.
Labeling the trust as “illegal, fraudulent, and a product of a calculated conspiracy,” Kapur has implored the Delhi High Court to restore her estate to the state it was in before the establishment of the RK Family Trust.