CHENNAI: The sudden death of billionaire businessman Sunjay Kapur on June 12, 2025, has triggered a deepening corporate and familial power struggle at Sona Comstar, the auto components giant he chaired. As the company moves forward with board appointments and regulatory compliance, Sunjay’s mother, Rani Kapur, has raised serious allegations about coercion, disputed shareholding, and a suspicious chain of events following her son’s passing. The battle now appears poised to move to court.
Sona Comstar’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) was held on July 25, 2025, as scheduled, despite Rani Kapur’s last-minute request to postpone it. The company stated that it received her email on the night of July 24, too late to act upon. The board, after consulting legal counsel, proceeded with the meeting, citing that Rani Kapur is not a shareholder as per company records and thus had no formal standing to call for a delay.
During the AGM, the company confirmed the appointment of Jeffrey Mark Overly as Chairman of the Board, effective June 23, and also inducted Sunjay Kapur’s widow, Priya Sachdev Kapur, as a Non-Executive Director. Her appointment was nominated by the promoter entity Aureus Investments Pvt Ltd and approved by more than 99% of shareholders. The board defended its decisions, maintaining full adherence to corporate governance norms and statutory guidelines.
However, Rani Kapur strongly disputes the legitimacy of the board’s recent moves. In a letter dated July 24 addressed to the company and its shareholders, she claimed she was coerced into signing documents in the days following her son’s death, when she was emotionally vulnerable and unaware of the implications. She described her son’s death as “sudden and suspicious,” suggesting the cause of death – officially reported as cardiac arrest during a polo match – has not been adequately explained.