Supreme Court Expresses Satisfaction Over Mediation in Sunjay Kapur Case
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday expressed satisfaction over the progress made in the mediation process in the family dispute over the assets of the late industrialist Sunjay Kapur. A bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and K Vinod Chandran was reviewing a preliminary report submitted by former Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud, who was appointed as mediator on May 7.
"We are happy to note that the mediation is proceeding quite satisfactorily and we are also happy to note that the parties concerned are cooperating," the bench observed.
The court had appointed Justice Chandrachud to mediate the dispute, which involves claims over the trust structure and assets left behind by Kapur. The appointment of a former Chief Justice of India as a mediator is notable, given the high office he held and the complex nature of the dispute.
According to the court's order, six mediation sessions have been conducted so far. The mediator informed the court that the parties have agreed to hold further discussions among themselves under his supervision to explore the possibility of "crystallising a holistic settlement of their claims."
"The parties have engaged in detailed discussions regarding the claims and entitlements that arise from the trust structure and the assets forming part of the corpus of the trust," the court noted in its order.
Accepting the mediator's request for more time, the court permitted the mediation to continue until November 2. The matter will be taken up for further hearing after the mediation process concludes, unless the parties arrive at a settlement earlier.
Mediation, a form of alternative dispute resolution, allows parties to resolve their differences through a neutral third party in a confidential and less adversarial setting. This approach is increasingly being encouraged by Indian courts, particularly in family and property disputes, as it helps preserve relationships and reduces the burden on the judiciary.
The present dispute, which has been the subject of litigation, appears to be moving towards an amicable resolution through the court-directed mediation process. The cooperation of the parties and the efforts of the mediator have been acknowledged by the Supreme Court, raising hopes for a comprehensive settlement of the claims.
