Delhi High Court: Sanjay Kapur’s Complete Asset List Cannot Be Kept Confidential

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday rejected a plea by Priya Kapur, widow of the late businessman Sanjay Kapur, seeking to file his personal asset list in a sealed cover. The application arose amid an ongoing inheritance dispute, where Karishma Kapoor’s children are claiming a share in their late father’s personal assets.

Priya Kapur’s counsel, advocate Shyel Trehan, requested that two pages of the asset list remain confidential, citing concerns over sensitive information entering the public domain. “I am willing to show it to all parties, but request it be held as confidential,” Trehan told the court.

The bench, however, clarified that the entire suit could not be sealed, stressing that opposing parties must access details to file their responses. “The whole suit cannot be in a sealed cover,” the court said, while inviting suggestions to safeguard the rights of all parties.

Senior advocates representing Karishma Kapoor’s children argued that details regarding the property should largely remain public. The court underscored that beneficiaries have a legal right to scrutinize and question the assets disclosed, consistent with standard civil dispute procedures.

Senior advocate Amit Sibal, representing Sunjay Kapur’s mother and a class 1 heir, emphasized the need for full access to the asset details to independently verify the will. He described restrictions, including a potential non-disclosure agreement, as “somewhat unusual,” seeking assurance that his rights would not be impeded.

After hearing arguments, the court adjourned the matter to the following day, leaving unresolved the question of which portions, if any, of the asset list could be filed confidentially.

The case highlights the delicate balance between privacy in high-profile inheritance matters and the legal rights of heirs. The next hearing is expected to clarify the extent to which confidentiality can be accommodated without infringing on other beneficiaries’ rights.