Death of Prince William's polo pal killed ‘after swallowing bee' sparks bitter succession battle at £2.7billion firm
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THE death of Prince William's polo pal has reportedly sparked a bitter £2.7billion succession row at his firm.
Billionaire Sunjay Kapur, 53, tragically died during a match at Guards Polo Club, in Windsor, in June after reportedly swallowing a bee.
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Billionaire Sunjay Kapur, 53, tragically died during a match at Guards Polo Club
Credit: Getty
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Indian-born Sunjay is understood to have requested the match be halted before he collapsed
Credit: Getty
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Prince William in action in the Audi Polo Challenge at Coworth Park Polo Club
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He was stung in his mouth before he suffered anaphylactic shock - triggering a fatal heart attack, sources said.
Indian-born Sunjay is understood to have requested the match be halted before he collapsed on the floor.
A well-known figure on the polo circuit in the UK and India, he often rubbed shoulders with the royals, including the Prince of Wales.
He was the chairman of global car parts giant Sona Comstar - a multi-billion pound company founded by his father.
Now, a bitter row has reportedly ignited between Sunjay's mother, Rani Kapur, and the board of directors at his firm.
According to The Telegraph, Mrs Kapur wrote to the board saying that her son had died in "suspicious and unexplained circumstances".
Her letter came a month after a new chairman was appointed by the board on June 23.
It is understood she accused the company of exploiting grief to "wrestle control" and "usurp the family legacy".
She claimed she had been made to sign documents "behind closed doors" while dealing with the death of her son.
Mrs Kapur claimed there was a conspiracy "behind her son's death" to remove control of the company from her family.
Vaibhav Gaggar, who represents Ms Kapur, said: "It quite clearly reinforces what she's been saying, that her entire legacy is being usurped and no one is willing to look into the cause of death.
"It may all be very well interlinked and she has quite unequivocally said there is a conspiracy behind her son's death."
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The letter also claimed that Sunjay's father, her late husband, had made her the sole beneficiary of his estate.
Sunjay's sister, Mandhire, sided with her mother and vowed to "protect" what her brother wanted.
Posting a picture of her, Sunjay and their mother, she said she would: "Protect what you would have wanted, and what Dad dreamed."
But the Sona Group denied Mrs Kapur's claims, saying that she had not been a shareholder for six years.
In a statement after his death, the company said: 'We are deeply saddened by the sudden demise of our Chairman, Mr Sunjay Kapur.
"He was a visionary leader whose passion, insight and dedication shaped the identity and success of our company.'
And it appears Sunjay's widow, former model Pria Sachdeva, has sided with the company.
She was appointed as the firm's non-executive director on July 25, despite Ms Kapur's objections.
Last week, Ms Sachdeva's shared the coroner's report confirming that her husband died of natural causes.
The coroner's investigation was closed after he was said to have died from ventricular hypertrophy and ischaemic heart disease.
Ms Kapur has previously written to UK authorities asking for an investigation into Sunjay's death, which was rejected.
Educated at The Doon School, India's answer to Eton, Sunjay later studied business at the University of Buckingham.
He went on to complete a prestigious executive programme at Harvard Business School.
Under his leadership, Sona Comstar became a key supplier to the booming electric vehicle sector.
The firm's operations spanned India, the US, Serbia, Mexico and China.
Sona Comstar has been approached for comment.
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It appears Sunjay's widow, former model Pria Sachdeva, has sided with the company
Credit: Instagram / priyasachdevkapur
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