India, April 27 -- The Supreme Court on Monday nudged parties locked in a bitter inheritance dispute linked to the late businessman Sanjay Kapur to explore mediation, even as it issued notice on a plea filed by his mother, octogenarian Rani Kapur, seeking protection of the estate and a restraint on alleged interference with the assets of the Sona Group.

A bench of justices JB Pardiwala and Vijay Bishnoi underscored that a prolonged courtroom battle, particularly involving an 80-year-old litigant, would serve little purpose. "Why are you all fighting? This is not the age for your client to fight.go for mediation once and for all, from A to Z. Otherwise, this is a waste," observed the bench.

The court issued notice to Sanjay Kapur's widow...