Sunjay Kapur’s sister Mandhira Kapur Smith receives legal notice in Priya Kapur defamation suit

The Patiala Court in Delhi has issued a defamation notice to Mandhira Kapur Smith, the sister of industrialist Sunjay Kapur, following a suit filed by his wife, Priya Kapur. This action comes after Priya filed a case against Mandhira, alleging significant reputational damage. Priya's lawyer stated that the notice was issued on Wednesday, and that Mandhira had previously been involved in legal proceedings with Sunjay.

Following the determination of sufficient grounds to proceed with Priya's criminal defamation complaint under Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), the court issued a notice to Mandhira on Wednesday. The case is now scheduled for a hearing on March 12, with Mandhira required to appear in court on that date.

Here's a rewritten version: Defamation lawsuit: Priya Kapur vs. Mandhira Kapur Smith

The notice was issued after Priya presented pre-summoning evidence to the court, including documentary material. The complaint alleges that Mandhira orchestrated a sustained and coordinated campaign of defamatory statements across television interviews, podcasts, and digital media platforms. Priya claimed these statements were direct imputations against her integrity, professional competence, and legitimacy.

The court heard that the alleged defamatory statements occurred around the time of Sunjay's death, while Priya was in mourning. The complaint accuses Mandhira of launching public attacks against Priya, describing the actions as "deliberate, malicious, and calculated" to inflict reputational damage during a vulnerable period.

Senior advocate Maninder Singh, representing Priya, informed the court that this was not Mandhira's first alleged instance of such behavior. He claimed that she had previously targeted her brother, Sunjay, and initiated legal action against his company to delay its IPO. This earlier dispute, which reached the Supreme Court, was ultimately resolved in Sunjay's favor.

The advocate claims the opposing side's challenge to the will is insincere

The complaint included verbatim transcripts, recorded interviews, podcasts, published articles, and digital content as evidence of the defamatory statements. During the pre-summoning phase, the court assessed the necessity of this evidence for the defamation suit, without making a determination of guilt. Advocate Singh also discussed the will dispute, asserting its compliance with all legal requirements, including the presence of an executor and two witnesses. He argued that the opposing side was not genuinely contesting the will's validity but was instead raising "peripheral issues."