Dayanidhi Maran sends legal notice to brother Kalanithi over Sun TV ownership: Report

A simmering family feud within one of India’s most powerful media empires has erupted into the open. Former Union Minister and DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran has reportedly issued a legal notice to his brother, Kalanithi Maran—chairman of the Sun TV Network—accusing him of serious financial misconduct.

The notice, dated June 10, 2025, alleges that Kalanithi Maran engaged in “fraudulent practices,” including “cheating and money laundering,” and calls for the reinstatement of the company’s shareholding structure as it stood in 2003. It invokes the founding legacy of their late father, SN Maran (widely known as Murasoli Maran), and MK Dayalu, wife of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi.

Besides Kalanithi, the notice also names seven other respondents, including his wife, Kaveri Maran. The legal action has been initiated through K. Suresh of Law Dharma, a Chennai-based research-driven litigation support firm headquartered in Santhome.

At the heart of the dispute is Sun TV Network Limited—one of India’s largest and most influential media conglomerates—making this a high-stakes battle within one of the country’s most prominent political and business families.

“In order to take over the entire company and its assets for the personal benefit of No.1 & 2 of you, (Kalanithi and Kaveri Maran) No.1 of you orchestrated a deceptive and devious plan in active conspiracy with No.2 to 8 of you. As part of executing your premeditated fraudulent scheme, taking advantage of the family's situation, especially when my client’s father’s health was critically ill, that he could pass away at any moment and the entire family was concerned about his deteriorating health, No.1 of you and No.2 of you commenced your first illegal activity in September 2003,” media reports have quoted the notice as stating.

notice sent by Dayanidhi Maran to his brother Kalanithi Maran accuses him of manipulating share ownership in Sun TV Network following their father’s death in 2003. According to the notice, shares were transferred to their mother, Mallika Maran, without necessary legal documentation such as a death certificate or legal heir certificate—both of which were issued only later. This early transfer, the notice claims, was a calculated move to eventually route the shares into Kalanithi’s control.

The notice further alleges that on September 15, 2003, Kalanithi Maran allotted 12 lakh equity shares to himself at a nominal price of ₹10 per share—despite the estimated market value at the time being between ₹2,500 and ₹3,000 per share. Describing this as a “criminal breach of trust and cheating,” the notice says Kalanithi effectively handed himself 60% ownership of Sun TV Private Limited without informing or securing approval from the company’s original majority shareholders.

It adds that Sun TV was financially stable at the time and did not require fresh capital, making the share allotment unjustified. Prior to this transaction, Kalanithi reportedly held no shares in the company. After the move, however, he emerged as the controlling shareholder, diluting the holdings of the original family members from 50% each to just 20%.

Today, Kalanithi Maran owns 75% of the publicly listed Sun TV Network and is among the wealthiest media barons in the country, with a reported net worth of $2.9 billion. In light of these allegations, Dayanidhi Maran has stated that he intends to call for a probe by the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO), citing violations of corporate governance, criminal law, and potential money laundering.