Summary
- DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran has accused his brother Kalanithi Maran of executing a “fraudulent scheme” to seize control of Sun TV Network after their father’s death in 2003.
- The legal notice alleges illegal share allotments, breach of trust, and misappropriation, calling for a probe by the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO).
- Sun TV has denied wrongdoing, calling the charges speculative and stating that all corporate actions were legally compliant since its early days as a private firm.
Inside the Sun TV Succession Storm: Family Feud Turns Corporate War
In one of India’s most dramatic media family disputes, DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran has accused his brother Kalanithi Maran—media baron and promoter of Sun TV Network—of fraudulently seizing control of the ₹24,400 crore company. The allegations, laid out in a legal notice, revolve around unauthorised share allotments made shortly after the death of their father, Murasoli Maran, in 2003.
Describing the takeover as a “premeditated, deceptive and devious plan”, Dayanidhi claims Kalanithi exploited the emotional and legal vulnerability of the family during their father’s terminal illness to corner majority control without shareholder consent or fair valuation.
Sun TV’s stock dipped by 1.8% following the revelation, signalling the potential financial fallout of what has now become India’s highest-profile media succession dispute.
DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran has issued a legal notice to his elder brother and Sun TV Network CMD Kalanithi Maran, alleging a fraudulent takeover of the group following the death of their father, Murasoli Maran, in 2003.@sandhyaravishan traces the roots of the family feud.
— NDTV Profit (@NDTVProfitIndia) June 20, 2025
Read… pic.twitter.com/e3C0zPdTQ6
The Allegations: Fraud, Mismanagement, and Unfair Allotments
- Dayanidhi alleges that Kalanithi had zero shares before September 15, 2003, and suddenly became majority shareholder just days after their father’s passing.
- He claims 12 lakh shares were illegally allotted to Kalanithi at a mere ₹10 face value, despite the market value being around ₹2,500–₹3,000 at the time.
- The alleged share distribution bypassed other key family members, including their sister and Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin, a relative of Murasoli Maran.
The crux of the dispute lies in who rightfully owned and controlled Sun TV after Murasoli Maran died intestate (without a will). Dayanidhi asserts that their father never intended to allot shares to Kalanithi, and yet the latter took advantage of the situation, issuing shares to himself at a fraction of their value.
“This was done without consent, without proper valuation, and without need for funding. The company was already financially healthy,” Dayanidhi states in the legal notice. The implication is clear: no capital was required, so the share issue had no operational justification—only a strategic one to seize control.
Sun TV’s Defence: “All Acts Were Legal and Historic”
- Sun TV has dismissed the claims as misleading, speculative, and factually incorrect, noting the events date back over two decades.
- The company stated in an exchange filing that “all acts have been done in accordance with legal obligations.”
- It emphasized that the network was a closely-held private limited company at the time, implying more latitude for internal restructuring.
The network, now India’s largest listed media conglomerate, argues that its transformation from a private entity to a public behemoth was conducted transparently and within the law. No response has been issued yet by Kalanithi Maran or his wife, Kavery Maran, who is also named in the notice.
This legal drama, however, puts Sun TV’s corporate governance practices under the scanner, and investors are watching closely. While the DMK—currently in power in Tamil Nadu—is unlikely to intervene in what it calls a “family matter”, the implications for shareholding legitimacy could be profound.
DMK, Stalin, and Political Shadows in a Media Empire
- The notice claims shareholding as of 2003 included MK Stalin, whose father, the late Karunanidhi, was Murasoli Maran’s uncle.
- Dayanidhi Maran is a four-time DMK MP, and the fallout could stir political discomfort within the party ahead of 2026 Tamil Nadu elections.
- Despite close historical ties between the DMK and Sun TV, party insiders say the leadership will stay clear of this intra-family battle.
Though positioned as a private inheritance issue, the case may have ripple effects across Tamil Nadu’s media-political ecosystem. Sun TV was long seen as the media face of the DMK, and the Maran family’s grip over its editorial and financial direction has often been a topic of quiet speculation.
By pulling MK Stalin’s name into the shareholding history, Dayanidhi has blurred the lines between corporate structure and political legacy, complicating the optics ahead of a crucial election season.
The Bigger Picture: Family-Owned Empires and Corporate Governance Gaps
This dispute echoes broader trends in Indian business, where legacy ownership structures and lack of succession planning often collide with modern regulatory frameworks. As Sun TV now becomes a case study, it raises urgent questions:
- Should family-run firms be required to maintain clearer succession records?
- How should minority shareholders be protected when shareholding changes hands under opaque circumstances?
- And will public accountability catch up with private legacy?
For now, the battle between Dayanidhi and Kalanithi Maran is not just over a media empire—it’s over the very idea of rightful ownership in India’s corporate dynasties.
