Sunjay Kapur, Priya Sachdev Kapur with family (File photo)

NEW DELHI: The legal battle over the estate of late industrialist Sunjay Kapur has intensified after his wife, Priya Sachdev Kapur, filed a criminal defamation complaint against his sister, Mandhira Kapur Smith, and another individual.She alleged that a series of statements by her sister-in-law—spread across podcasts, social media, media interviews, and republished online content—amount to a “sustained and deliberate campaign to damage my reputation.”The complaint, filed before the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate at Delhi’s Patiala House Courts, contended that Mandhira Kapur Smith’s remarks contain “false assertions, insinuations and personal attacks presented as established facts, despite the issues being sub judice, thereby causing serious reputational harm.”Priya Kapur’s lawyer Maninder Singh submitted that such conduct “squarely attracts the offence of criminal defamation under the applicable law.”The filing of the defamation case follows recent developments in related proceedings, in which the court sought a response from actor Karisma Kapoor, Sunjay Kapur’s former wife, on a plea filed by Priya Kapur seeking certified copies of divorce-related court records involving the late industrialist.Amid this backdrop, Mandhira Kapur Smith made public remarks to the media questioning Priya Kapur’s “conduct and motives.”She stated that if her brother had intended to share certain information, he would have done so during the marriage, and added that divorce proceedings are confidential, especially when children are involved.Priya Kapur has alleged that these statements are part of the “defamatory material” cited in her complaint and has approached the court seeking criminal action for the alleged damage to her reputation.Sunjay Kapur passed away in June last year at the age of 53 after collapsing during a polo match in the UK. His first marriage was to designer Nandita Mahtani, and at the time of his death, his net worth was estimated at around $1.3 billion (Rs 10,300 crore).Priya Kapur was previously married to hotelier Vikram Chatwal. (With ANI inputs)

NEW DELHI: Maharashtra civic election results have put the spotlight on tainted corporators, as candidates with criminal backgrounds won pockets in Pune and Jalna in the corporation polls.The poll results brought attention to politicians with criminal backgrounds as some of the winners celebrated their victory from jail. From gangster’s family, jailed women, Gauri Lankesh murder accused, some winners from the local polls grabbed national attention.In Pune, two relatives of gangster Suryakant alias Bandu Andekar, currently lodged in jail in connection with the murder of his grandson, were elected from Ward No. 23 in the civic polls on Friday.

In Pune, Sonali Andekar, Bandu Andekar’s daughter-in-law, and his sister-in-law Laxmi Andekar were fielded by the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). The party had faced sharp criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party for nominating candidates with criminal backgrounds.Sonali Andekar is the wife of former NCP corporator Vanraj Andekar, who was murdered on September 1, 2024, in Pune’s Nana Peth area. Vanraj was allegedly killed by Ganesh Komkar, the husband of one of Vanraj’s two sisters, following a property dispute.Exactly a year later, in 2025, Ganesh Komkar’s 19-year-old son Ayush Komkar was murdered, allegedly in an act of revenge.Bandu Andekar, his son Krushna Andekar, Sonali Andekar, Laxmi Andekar, and others were arrested in the Ayush Komkar murder case. While Bandu, Sonali, and Laxmi are currently in judicial custody, the NCP went ahead and offered tickets to the two women candidates from the ward, triggering widespread criticism.In a closely contested fight, Sonali Andekar defeated Pratibha Dhangekar, wife of former MLA and Shiv Sena leader Ravindra Dhangekar. Laxmi Andekar defeated BJP candidate Rutuja Gadale by a slender margin.Mithun Chavan, a lawyer associated with the Andekar family, said the twin victories reflected the social work carried out by the family over the years.He said the Andekars have a long political legacy, with Vatsala Andekar having served as the city’s mayor, while late Udyankant Andekar and Vanraj Andekar were corporators known for raising civic issues.Chavan said that although Sonali and Laxmi were in jail during the campaign, other family members led the outreach.“They connected with voters on the ground, and people responded positively by electing both the candidates,” he said.Pradnya Andekar, a relative of the newly elected corporators, thanked the voters of the ward for reposing faith in the family and said they would continue to work for the betterment of residents.

Gauri Lankesh murder accused wins Jalna

Shrikant Pangarkar secured victory from Ward 13 in the Jalna Municipal Corporation elections, defeating candidates from the BJP and several other parties. The Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena did not field a candidate in the ward.Ahead of the November 2024 assembly elections, Pangarkar had joined the Shiv Sena. However, following public outcry over his induction, Shinde kept it in abeyance.Gauri Lankesh was shot dead outside her Bengaluru residence on September 5, 2017. Her murder had triggered national headlines and sparked intense debates over liberalism, secularism, and communalism in India.Pangarkar had earlier served as a member of the Jalna municipal council with the undivided Shiv Sena between 2001 and 2006. After being denied a ticket in 2011, he joined the right-wing Hindu Janjagruti Samiti.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday weighed in on the controversy surrounding the alleged fading of indelible ink used during Maharashtra’s civic body elections, using a Gen Z term to accuse the Election Commission of undermining public trust.Amid mounting complaints from voters and opposition parties that the ink applied to mark fingers during Thursday’s polls was fading unusually fast, Rahul described the situation as “gaslighting” by the Election Commission and termed “vote chori” an anti-national act.Sharing a media report on X that said “opposition, voters cry foul over fading ink markers”, Gandhi wrote, “Election commission gaslighting citizens is how trust has collapsed in our democracy. Vote Chori is an anti-national act.”The controversy erupted after multiple videos surfaced on social media showing voters claiming that the ink marks on their fingers had faded within hours of voting, raising concerns about the integrity of the electoral process and the possibility of repeat voting.

What is gaslighting?

Rahul’s use of the term ‘gaslighting’ — commonly associated with Gen Z and millennial discourse — drew attention online.‘Gaslighting’ refers to a form of manipulation where people are led to doubt their own memory, perception or understanding of reality. It often involves repeatedly denying clear facts, twisting information, or blaming others’ reactions, eventually causing them to question their own judgment.Victims are gradually led to question their actions, memories, understanding and even their sanity. It typically occurs in situations where there is a power imbalance between the individuals involved. Gaslighting often begins with small, seemingly harmless lies but can escalate over time, with the manipulator convincing the victim that they remember events incorrectly, lack sound judgment, or cannot be trusted to assess situations accurately.Examples:By invoking the term, Rahul appeared to suggest that voters’ concerns were being dismissed or minimised despite visible evidence, further eroding confidence in democratic institutions.The Election Commission has maintained that it will take corrective steps based on the probe’s findings, even as the opposition continues to press for accountability over the ink controversy.

NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday accused the Election Commission of “gaslighting citizens” after claims surfaced that marker pens were used to ink voters’ fingers during Maharashtra civic polls, including the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) election.“Election commission gaslighting citizens is how trust has collapsed in our democracy. Vote Chori is an anti-national act,” Rahul Gandhi said in a post on X.The issue triggered a political row after opposition parties alleged the ink could be wiped off easily, raising concerns about the integrity of the polling process. State Election Commissioner Dinesh Waghmare rejected the allegations, saying marker pens have been used for local self-government elections in the state since 2011 and that the ink is indelible.The BJP slammed Rahul’s attack on poll body and asked if he ‘accepting defeat’ before the counting of votes ends. “Bahana brigade back! Accepting defeat before counting ends? Rahul Back to doing what he does best. Discredit , distort & disinform. Khandani chor now regurgitating claims of Thackerays. By the way what came out of allegations Rahul made on Bihar elections vote chori?” BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said in a post on X.The BMC election, held after an eight-year gap, recorded a voter turnout of 52.94%, according to figures released by the SEC on Friday. Polling concluded on Thursday.The election for India’s richest municipal corporation was marked by allegations from the Shiv Sena (UBT)-MNS alliance, which were later denied by the SEC. The previous BMC polls were held in 2017, and the term of the last elected mayor, Kishori Pednekar, ended in March 2022. The new election is expected to pave the way for Mumbai to get a mayor after nearly four years.According to the SEC, 54,76,043 voters cast their ballots out of 1,03,44,315 registered voters. The turnout included 29,23,433 men, 25,52,359 women, and 251 transgender voters across 277 wards. In absolute numbers, about 3.7 lakh more men voted than women.Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis dismissed the controversy, alleging the opposition was preparing excuses for an expected defeat. “The Election Commission has used marker pens several times in the past. I feel some people are preparing to blame something for the result tomorrow,” he said.