The ongoing Maran family rift took a new turn on June 20, 2025, after Sun TV Network issued an official clarification to the National Stock Exchange (NSE), seeking to distance its corporate affairs from the legal battle between its Chairman Kalanithi Maran and his younger brother, Dayanidhi Maran. The company categorically stated that the matter is a personal family dispute and does not impact the network's day-to-day functioning or business operations.
This statement comes in response to a legal notice sent on June 10 by Dayanidhi Maran, a former Union Minister, who accused Kalanithi Maran of improperly allotting 1.2 million equity shares of Sun TV Private Limited to himself back in 2003, at a nominal face value of ₹10 each. Dayanidhi’s legal notice claims the share allotment was done without proper valuation, consideration, or shareholder consent, particularly from the families of late DMK leader Murasoli Maran and party founder M. Karunanidhi.
According to the clarification issued by Sun TV to the NSE, the company asserted that media reports misrepresent the facts and that the matter is being sensationalized. Ravi Ramamoorthy, the company secretary of Sun TV, in his response to the exchange, called the allegations “incorrect, misleading, speculative, defamatory and not supported by facts or law.”
The legal notice had also raised concerns over the events following the death of Murasoli Maran in November 2003. It alleged that shares were transferred to the brothers’ mother, Mallika Maran, without appropriate documentation, and that Kalanithi Maran became the majority shareholder “overnight” without the consent of other family members.
However, Sun TV has strongly refuted these charges, maintaining that all share allotments were carried out in accordance with legal and regulatory requirements. “We wish to inform that all acts have been done in accordance with legal obligations and the same had been duly vetted by concerned intermediaries before the public issue of the Company,” Ramamoorthy stated.
The timing of the allegations has raised eyebrows. Dayanidhi Maran’s legal notice refers to incidents dating back 22 years—well before Sun TV became a public company. Observers note that airing this dispute in public now could be driven by family tensions rather than business impropriety.
The company’s clarification attempts to reinforce investor confidence, emphasizing that “the legal notice does not have any bearing on the business of the Company or its day-to-day functioning.” The board appears keen to separate corporate interests from internal family dynamics, suggesting that Sun TV's governance and operations remain stable and unaffected.
While the Maran brothers’ legal fight over the ownership history of Sun TV continues, the company seems determined to keep the courtroom drama from spilling into the business arena. Whether this strategy can hold in the court of public opinion and investor sentiment remains to be seen.
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