Who is Priya Sachdev? Big fight over heir to Rs 30000 crore business empire of Karisma Kapoor’s ex-husband Sunjay Kapur

The sudden demise of Sunjay Kapur, a prominent figure in the Indian automotive field and Chairman of Sona Comstar, has left everyone in shock. Sunjay Kapur, who was also the ex-husband of actor Karisma Kapoor, passed away on June 12 in England at the age of 53, following a heart attack while playing polo.  Just days after his death, the company appointed Jeffrey Mark Overly as the new Chairperson on June 23.

Who is Priya Sachdev Kapur? What’s her connection with Sunjay Kapur?

Priya Sachdev Kapur, the wife of the late industrialist Sunjay Kapoor, is now at the center of the highly publicized dispute involving a business empire worth Rs 30,000 crore. The dispute began to take shape when Sunjay Kapoor’s mother, Rani Kapoor, wrote the board of directors, just prior to the company’s annual general meeting (AGM) on Friday.

What are the shocking claims that are being made by Rani Kapur, mother of the late Sunjay Kapur?

Rani Kapur, mother of the late Sunjay Kapur, has written to the Board of Directors and Shareholders of Sona Comstar to refrain from the appointment of any Director(s) in the Company or any other Sona Group Company and further unconditionally defer the Annual General Meeting (AGM), scheduled for Friday (July 25), reported news agency IANS. In her letter, Rani Kapur alleged she was coerced to sign some documents which are being misused to wrest control of the company and usurp the family legacy after her son’s death.

Rani Kapur stated that, as per the Will left behind by her late husband, Dr. Surinder Kapur, the Founder of Sona Comstar and the Sona Group, she is the majority shareholder in the Company and thereby the only authority to represent the interests of the family in the Company/Sona Group.

“Please postpone this AGM for at least two weeks to be held on a mutually convenient date, so that I may gather all necessary information, please ensure that there is total cooperation from the company and all details are made available to me, so I may gather all the facts together to present to the board,” Rani Kapur has stated in the letter.

Rani Kapur has also stated in her letter that her son passed away under mysterious circumstances in the UK, and while she was in mourning, she was coerced into signing documents which are now being used to usurp the company. The letter reads, “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.” Rani Kapur has also stated that she has been denied access to her accounts within less than a month of her only son passing away.

Why is Priya, Sunjay Kapur’s Wife, involved in a Rs 30,000 Crore Succession Battle?

Priya was born and raised in a business family in New Delhi. Her father, Ashok Sachdev, was an automobile dealer. According to the Amar Ujala report, she studied Mathematics and Business Management at University College London (UCL) and studied at UCLA. She also had a small role in the 2005 Bollywood film Neal ‘n’ Nikki.

Previously, Priya married hotelier Vikram Chatwal in 2006. Their grand wedding reportedly cost around Rs 100 crore. As per the NDTV report, the grand celebration witnessed VIP guests from 126 countries around the world. Their wedding lasted only five years. In 2011, the couple got divorced. From her first marriage, Priya has a daughter, and after marrying Sunjay Kapur, she had a son with him.

According to her LinkedIn, she is currently a Non-Executive Director at Sona Comstar and a Director of Aurum Investments, a Kapur family investment company. Priya began her career in M&A at Credit Suisse First Boston in London before returning to India to lead ventures across automotive retail, insurance, fashion, and e-commerce. She founded TSG International Marketing Pvt. Ltd. and co-created Rock N Shop, one of India’s early luxury e-commerce platforms.

Priya is now in the spotlight and is probably going to face a difficult legal battle regarding who is going to make decisions in one of India’s leading automotive families. And with questions around who has the authority to make decisions for the Sona Group, people are now paying attention to Priya.

In 2016, Karisma Kapoor filed a domestic violence case against Sunjay Kapur and his mother, accusing them of physical abuse and claiming Sunjay was involved with another woman. She also filed a dowry harassment case, leading to a summons for Sunjay by the Mumbai police. The couple was already locked in a bitter divorce and custody battle.

News