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Not many outside the business circuit knew of Rani Kapur until recently. The widow of late industrialist Surinder Kapur Rani was once the Chairperson of Sona Comstar and is also the largest shareholder in Sona BLW. Her husband founded the Sona Group a key name in the Indian auto components industry and played a role in the early localisation of Maruti Suzuki. After Surinder Kapur passed away in 2015 their son Sunjay Kapur took over leadership of Sona BLW Precision Forgings while Rani remained a figure of authority in the background. But following Sunjay’s sudden death in June 2025 the matriarch has now stepped into the public eye and not without reason. Why is Rani Kapur suddenly in the news? On July 24 Rani Kapur sent a letter to the Sona Comstar board a company once led by her son just ahead of its Annual General Meeting (AGM). In it she urged the board to postpone the meeting citing concerns over Sunjay’s death and how key company decisions were being handled. But that was just the start. What did she say about Sunjay’s death? In her letter Rani described Sunjay’s passing as highly suspicious and unexplained. She said she had been denied access to critical documentation and despite asking for clarity received no real answers. She also claimed she was pressured into signing documents behind closed doors papers that according to her are now being used to erase or twist the family’s legacy. In a statement to ANI she said “I still dont know what happened to my son. I am old now and need closure before I go. I may be old and frail now but my memory of being with my husband when Sona was set up is strong... I am here to remind the world that our family legacy must not be lost.” Who controls Sona Comstar now? Shortly after Sunjay’s death his third wife Priya Sachdev Kapur was appointed Non-Executive Director of the company. Mark Jeffery was made Chairman. Though some had expected Sunjay’s sisters to step in this quick transition raised questions. Rani’s letter appears to challenge not just the appointments but the pace and nature of decisions made soon after her sons passing. How did the company respond? Sona Comstar issued a formal denial calling Rani Kapur’s statements baseless and legally untenable. They clarified that she has had no role in company matters since 2019 and that she is not a shareholder director or officer. “Any insinuation that she was coerced into signing documents or that her consent is required for Company affairs is completely baseless” the statement read. As the dust of grief settles the battle over one of India’s biggest automotive legacies seems to be just beginning and at the centre of it stands a woman who once helped build it all.