Sun TV dispute ends as Dayanidhi Maran drops legal action against Kalanithi
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin intervened on July 9, facilitating conciliatory talks between the brothers in an attempt to defuse tensions.
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The high-profile dispute within the Sun TV conglomerate appeared to ease on Monday after former Union minister Dayanidhi Maran withdrew his legal notice against his elder brother, Kalanithi Maran, in which he had levelled allegations of fraud and other irregularities.
The notice, issued in June, had triggered a crisis within the media empire. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin intervened on July 9, facilitating conciliatory talks between the brothers in an attempt to defuse tensions.
In his earlier notice, Dayanidhi Maran had accused Kalanithi Maran of illegally transferring shares worth thousands of crores and committing breach of trust. He had threatened to approach statutory bodies — including the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO), Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) — to initiate civil, criminal, regulatory, and enforcement actions unless the companies were restored to their status as of September 15, 2003.
According to the notice, this restoration would have involved returning shares to the “rightful owners” — M.K. Dayalu Ammal, wife of the late Tamil Nadu chief minister M. Karunanidhi, and the legal heirs of the late S.N. Maran (Murasoli Maran) — within a week.
As of FY 2024-25, Sun TV Network Ltd reported a turnover of ₹4,544 crore and a net profit of ₹1,654.45 crore.
