VIKRAM CHOPRA vs STATE & OTHERS

Judgment text excerpt

$~ * IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI % Judgment reserved on: 17.09.2025 Judgment pronounced on: 21.11.2025 + FAO (OS) 30/2010 VIKRAM CHOPRA .....Appellant Through: Mr. Navin Prakash, Mr. Ved Vyas Tripathi and Mr. Vaibhav Verma, Advs. versus STATE & OTHERS .....Respondents Through: Ms. Richa Kapoor, Mr. Kunal Anand, Ms. Aditi Rathore, Ms. Sanchari Banerjee and Ms. Atika Singh, Advs. CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE ANIL KSHETARPAL HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE HARISH VAIDYANATHAN SHANKAR JUDGMENT ANIL KSHETARPAL, J. 1. The Appellant [Petitioner before the learned Single Judge] assails the correctness of the Judgment dated 11.09.2009 [hereinafter referred to as ‗Impugned Judgement‘] passed by the learned Single Judge in TEST CASE 13/1996 captioned Vikram Chopra vs. State & Ors., while refusing to grant probate of the registered will executed by Late Sh. Praveen Malhotra [hereinafter referred to as ‗the Testator‘] bequeathing his certain moveable and immoveable properties in favour of Ms. Shalini Asha Chopra [hereinafter referred to as ‗the Beneficiary‘]. Signature Not Verified Signed By:SAVITA PASRICHA Signing Date:21.11.2025 FAO (OS) 30/2010 Page 1 of 41 16:26:01 FACTUAL MATRIX 2. In order to comprehend issues involved in the present case, the relevant facts in brief are required to be noticed. 3. The Appellant/Mr. Vikram Chopra, is the son of the Beneficiary and is also the Executor of the Will in question. 4. The Testator was married to Ms. Shalini Malhotra, who predeceased him in April, 1989. Thereafter, the Testator, along with his parents (Sh. O. P. Malhotra/Father and Smt. Kanta Malhotra/Mother) and his sister (Ms. Reet A. Anand) faced criminal prosecution for the offences relating to dowry death, which remained pending till the Testator‘s demise on the intervening night o