New Delhi, March 30 (IANS) A Delhi court on Tuesday adjourned the hearing in the criminal defamation case filed by Priya Kapur, wife of late businessman Sunjay Kapur, against her sister-in-law Mandhira Kapur Smith, granting time to the complainant to file a reply to an application moved by the proposed accused.
The matter, which came up before the Patiala House Courts, has now been listed for further hearing on April 22 after Priya Kapur sought time to respond to an application filed by Mandhira Kapur under Section 330 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), seeking disclosure of documents relied upon in the complaint.
The court allowed the request and deferred the proceedings, directing the complainant to place her response on record before the next date of hearing.
In her application, she has sought copies of all documents relied upon by Priya Kapur in support of the criminal defamation complaint.
During the previous hearing, the court had issued summons to Mandhira Kapur in the matter.
Priya Kapur has initiated criminal defamation proceedings against Mandhira Kapur Smith and another, alleging a sustained campaign of false and defamatory statements against her across digital platforms, podcasts and media interviews.
The complaint alleges that the statements circulated through interviews and podcasts, and subsequently republished by sections of the media, are false, misleading and have caused serious harm to her reputation.
According to the complainant, the content includes personal attacks and allegations presented as facts despite the issues being sub judice, and amounts to criminal defamation intended to malign and harass her in the public domain.
The criminal proceedings form part of a broader legal dispute between the parties.
In a related development, the Delhi High Court, while hearing a civil defamation suit filed by Priya Kapur, had directed both parties to refrain from making any public statements against each other.
A single-judge Bench of Justice Mini Pushkarna had orally observed that the parties should conduct themselves with dignity and avoid making statements, directly or indirectly, against one another.
The Delhi High Court had issued notice on the interim relief application and directed Mandhira Kapur Smith to file her response, posting the matter for further hearing on May 14.
Priya Kapur has sought Rs 20 crore in damages in the civil suit, along with permanent and mandatory injunctions restraining the defendants from making or publishing any allegedly defamatory statements against her.
According to the plaint, following the demise of Sunjay Kapur on June 12, 2025, Mandhira Kapur allegedly engaged in a “systematic and organised” campaign to malign her through interviews, podcasts and social media posts, causing continuing damage to her reputation and mental peace.
–IANS
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