**Title:** Mandhira Challenges RK Family Trust’s Control Over Aureus Investment
**Meta Description:** Mandhira Kapur raises concerns over RK Family Trust’s control of Aureus Investment, amid family disputes and legal battles.
**URL Slug:** mandhira-challenges-rk-family-trust-aureus-investment
**Headline:** Mandhira Kapur Raises Concerns Over RK Family Trust’s Control of Aureus Investment Amid Family Disputes
In the past week, Mandhira Kapur has expressed concerns regarding the RK Family Trust’s influence over the shareholding of Aureus Investment Private Ltd, a significant promoter entity of Sona Comstar, which has been taken from Rani Kapur. This is not the first time Mandhira has voiced such worries.
The ongoing dispute over family assets between siblings Mandhira and Sunjay Kapur, children of Surinder Kapur, has previously escalated to legal proceedings and scrutiny from the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi). In a letter to then-Sebi chairman Ajay Tyagi in May 2021, just before Sona Comstar’s public listing, Mandhira pointed out that her father had created a will transferring his entire estate to her mother, Rani Kapur, with the intention that Mandhira would eventually receive her rightful share.
She alleged, “According to the DRHP (draft red herring prospectus), it appears my brother is attempting to claim our father’s entire estate for himself through the RK Family Trust, the details of which remain unclear.” The RK Family Trust holds over two-thirds of Aureus Investment Private Ltd, which owns a 28% stake in Sona Comstar.
In a subsequent letter to the Sebi chairman in June 2021, Mandhira questioned Sunjay’s efforts to downplay the trust’s implications on the company’s listing and requested an investigation into the trust’s operations. She urged, “I once again request that Sona BLW Precision Forgings Limited be prevented from launching its initial public offering (IPO) until my rights and concerns are addressed.” Despite her appeals, the IPO proceeded in June 2021, priced at ₹291 per share. Recently, shares of Sona BLW Precision settled at ₹442.85 on the BSE.
As the conflict over the trust continued, the siblings also clashed in court over trademark rights related to the name ‘Sona.’ In June 2020, Mandhira’s company, initially named Mandhira Marketing Private Ltd, rebranded to Sona Mandhira Private Ltd, prompting a legal challenge from Sona BLW Precision Forgings. The Delhi High Court granted an interim injunction in 2023, preventing Mandhira’s company from using the Sona trademark.
The rift between the siblings persisted until Sunjay’s passing in June this year, with Mandhira acknowledging in media interviews that they had not communicated for four years. Now, with control of the RK Family Trust shifting to Sunjay’s wife, Priya Sachdev, and their son Azarias, along with Sunjay’s children from a previous marriage, Mandhira and her mother Rani Kapur find themselves in conflict with the new trustees.
Mandhira, alongside her mother, continues to question the transfer of power to Priya Sachdev Kapur, highlighting the ongoing family tensions and the implications for their rights and interests in the family estate.
**FAQ:**
**What is the RK Family Trust’s role in the Aureus Investment dispute?**
The RK Family Trust controls a significant portion of Aureus Investment, leading to concerns from Mandhira Kapur about the legitimacy of its control and the implications for her inheritance rights.
