Chennai: The Madras High Court has dismissed a civil suit challenging the ownership of a Chennai property purchased by late actress Sridevi in 1988, bringing major relief to her family, including Boney Kapoor, Janhvi Kapoor and Khushi Kapoor.
The High Court reportedly ruled that the claims made by the plaintiffs lacked legal merit and were filed several decades after the original land transaction, making the case legally unsustainable.
The verdict also overturned an earlier order passed by a Chengalpattu court in connection with the disputed property.
Legal dispute centred around Sholinganallur land
According to reports, the case involved a 2.70-acre property located in Sholinganallur, Chennai, which had originally been purchased by Sridevi, her mother and sister through sale deeds executed in 1988.
The civil suit was filed by individuals identified as MC Sivakami, MC Natarajan and Chandrabhanu, who claimed to be legal heirs of late MC Chandrasekaran.
The plaintiffs challenged the validity of the sale deeds and alleged that the sellers did not have lawful ownership of the property at the time it was sold.
They further claimed that the land originally belonged to MC Sambanda Mudaliar and stated that they became aware of alleged irregularities only in 2023 after a land deed was issued in favour of the Kapoor family.
The matter later reached the Madras High Court under the title Boney Kapoor vs C Sivakami.
Kapoor family challenged maintainability of suit
The Kapoor family challenged the civil suit before the High Court under Order VII Rule 11 of the Code of Civil Procedure, arguing that the claims were legally untenable.
Their counsel reportedly pointed out that MC Chandrasekaran, who died in 1995, had never disputed the sale deeds during his lifetime.
The family also argued that the plaintiffs were not recognised as Class I legal heirs of Chandrasekaran, weakening their legal standing in the case.
Another major argument raised by the Kapoor family was the significant delay in filing the suit. The plaintiffs approached the court in 2025, nearly four decades after the original property transaction took place.
Court cites delay and inconsistencies
While dismissing the suit, the Madras High Court reportedly observed that the case exceeded the legally permissible limitation period because the transaction occurred nearly 40 years ago.
The court also noted inconsistencies in the plaintiffs’ claims regarding legal heirship and observed that a certificate submitted by them had already been cancelled.
Based on these findings, the High Court concluded that the suit lacked sufficient legal grounds to proceed further.
The court additionally described the case as a misuse of legal process while rejecting the claims made against the Kapoor family.
Property rights passed to family after Sridevi’s death
The High Court reportedly observed that following Sridevi’s death in February 2018, ownership rights over the property legally passed to her immediate family members.
This includes her husband Boney Kapoor and daughters Janhvi Kapoor and Khushi Kapoor.
The ruling effectively reinforces the Kapoor family’s ownership over the Chennai property and brings closure to a lengthy legal dispute surrounding the land.
The decision has also drawn significant attention because of Sridevi’s legacy as one of Indian cinema’s most celebrated actresses.
Sridevi’s legacy remains strong
Sridevi remains one of the most iconic stars in Indian film history, having worked across Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, Malayalam and Kannada cinema over several decades.
Her sudden death in Dubai in 2018 shocked the film industry and fans across the country.
Since then, her family, particularly Boney Kapoor, Janhvi Kapoor and Khushi Kapoor, have frequently spoken about preserving her legacy and memories.
The latest court ruling now provides legal clarity regarding one of the properties associated with the late actress and offers relief to the Kapoor family after years of uncertainty linked to the dispute.