India, May 14 -- The Supreme Court on Thursday restrained a key company linked to the inheritance dispute within the family of late businessman Sunjay Kapur from proceeding with the appointment of independent directors, even as it made a fresh appeal to the warring factions to amicably settle the bitter feud through mediation.

A bench of justices JB Pardiwala and Ujjal Bhuyan observed that the 80-year-old Rani Kapur, mother of the late businessman, must have been "shaken" by the continuing dispute and urged all sides to "handle her with care", while cautioning that the litigation could otherwise become a "long-drawn battle".

"We have been saying repeatedly that 'settle it'. There is this 80-year-old woman. Sometime you have to compromis...