Legal Battle Erupts in Tamil Nadu Over Media Empire Control

In a significant upheaval within Tamil Nadu's political and media landscape, former Union Minister Dayanidhi Maran has issued a legal notice against his elder brother, Kalanidhi Maran, who heads the Sun TV Network. This dispute extends beyond familial issues, involving control over a vast media company and assets worth thousands of crores. Dayanidhi has accused Kalanidhi of unlawfully transferring millions of shares in Tamil Nadu's political landscape to his name. He claims this occurred during a vulnerable time for the family, specifically in 2003, when their father, Murasoli Maran, was gravely ill.

DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran has formally accused Kalanidhi Maran of violating regulations by transferring millions of shares of the Chennai-based Sun TV Group to himself, valued at thousands of crores. Reports indicate that Dayanidhi stated Kalanidhi received ₹5,926 crores in dividends by 2023 and ₹455 crores in 2024. He remarked, "The crimes you committed are ongoing." Notably, Sun TV Network Limited reported a turnover of ₹4,544 crores and a net profit of ₹1,654.45 crores for the fiscal year 2024-25.

Dayanidhi has warned that if Kalanidhi and his associates, including his wife Kaaviri Kalanidhi, do not revert the company to its status as of September 15, 2003, within a week, he will seek action from the SFIO, SEBI, ED, and other statutory bodies. He has also demanded that the legal heirs of M.K. Dayalu Ammal (the late CM Karunanidhi's wife) and Murasoli Maran return their shares. Furthermore, Dayanidhi plans to push for the closure of two dozen satellite channels, radio stations, newspapers, and other businesses under the Sun Group, as well as the revocation of the Sunrisers Hyderabad franchise license from the BCCI and SpiceJet's operating license from the DGCA.

Dayanidhi explained that the original promoters of the parent company, Sumangali Publications Private Limited, were solely Dayalu Ammal and Mallika Maran (Murasoli Maran's wife), each holding 50% of the shares as of December 12, 1985. According to Dayanidhi, during September 2003, when Murasoli Maran was critically ill, Kalanidhi transferred 1.2 million shares of M/s SUN TV Private Limited to himself without proper valuation, compensation, or consent from other stakeholders, despite having no shares prior to September 15, 2003.

Murasoli Maran passed away on November 23, 2003, with the death certificate issued on February 20, 2004. However, Kalanidhi transferred the shares to his name on November 26, 2003, which was legally questionable as no succession certificate or death certificate was available at that time. The notice highlights that there was no administrator or appointed heir, making it shocking that Kalanidhi acquired a 60% stake overnight while deliberately reducing the original promoters' stake from 50% to 20%.

Dayanidhi stated that the 1.2 million shares were purchased at ₹10 each, totaling ₹1.2 crores, while their market value was ₹3,500 crores at that time, indicating a discrepancy of ₹3,498.8 crores as "proceeds of crime." He also alleged that on December 16, 2005, 114,999 shares belonging to Mallika Maran were transferred to Kalanidhi without the knowledge of the legal heirs, despite her having sold shares to Dayalu at ₹3,173.04 each just weeks earlier. Dayanidhi claimed that the shares were fraudulently acquired for ₹100 crores, while retaining them could have yielded dividends of ₹100 crores.

This is not the first legal notice sent to Kalanidhi; a previous notice was issued on October 7, 2024, to which Kalanidhi responded with an ambiguous answer lacking substantial information. Following this, Kalanidhi paid ₹500 crores to his sister Anbukrasi, who is Murasoli Maran's legal heir. Dayanidhi's notice also stated that "paying the sister 21 years after the father's death is merely an attempt to suppress the truth and silence her." He accused Kaaviri Kalanidhi of receiving an annual salary of ₹87.5 crores, resulting in undue profits. The notice demands the immediate return of all financial gains, properties, and income unlawfully acquired since 2003 to Dayalu and Murasoli Maran's heirs. This notice has also been sent to Kalanidhi Maran, Kaaviri Kalanidhi, Ravi Ramamurthy, Natarajan Shivasubramanian (CA), Sridhar Swaminathan (financial advisor), Swaminathan, and Sharad Kumar.

Ultimately, this conflict within the Maran family transcends mere property disputes, evolving into a clash of political, media, corporate, and familial values. As serious allegations unfold within a single family, questions arise regarding the truth behind these claims and whether this is merely a struggle for control. It remains to be seen what new revelations will emerge as investigative agencies and the judiciary delve into these allegations.