Former Union Minister and DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran has sent a legal notice to his brother, Kalanithi Maran — executive chairman of south India’s largest broadcaster Sun TV Network — alleging fraudulent practices, including cheating and money laundering.
According to a report by Moneycontrol, the strongly worded legal notice, dated June 10, 2025, threatens civil, criminal, regulatory and enforcement action against Kalanithi and seven others, including his wife Kavery Kalanithi, who serves as executive director of Sun TV Network. The notice seeks to restore the media company’s shareholding to its original structure as of 2003.
This is the second such notice, following one sent in October 2024. The current one is served by K Suresh of Chennai-based law firm Law Dharma. When contacted by FE, Suresh declined to comment.
“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.
“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,” the notice says, referring to the illness and subsequent death of their father, S N Maran (popularly known as Murasoli Maran). Murasoli Maran was the nephew of former Tamil Nadu chief minister M Karunanidhi.
The notice claims that following Murasoli Maran’s death in 2003, shares were transferred to their mother, Mallika, without proper legal documentation such as a death certificate or legal heir certificate — which were issued only much later. This transfer, it alleges, enabled the eventual movement of shares to Kalanithi.
As per Moneycontrol, the notice accuses Kalanithi of allotting 1.2 million equity shares to himself at Rs 10 per share on September 15, 2003 — an act it describes as a “criminal breach of trust and cheating,” since the fair value of the shares was allegedly between Rs 2,500-3,000 at the time.
“In other words, No.1 of you (Kalanithi) allotted 60% of the shares of M/s Sun TV without any consultation or approval from the existing majority/promoter original shareholders at face value of Rs 10/- each,” the notice states.
Prior to this move, Kalanithi reportedly did not hold any shares in the company. Post allotment, however, he emerged as the majority shareholder, reducing the original family’s holding from 50% each to just 20%, as per the notice.
As of March 2025, Kalanithi Maran owns a 75% stake in Sun TV Network. Both he and his wife Kavery are among India’s highest-paid executives — drawing Rs 87.50 crore each as annual compensation in FY24, including perquisites and allowances. The company has not yet released its FY25 annual report.
“The difference amount between the alleged payment of Rs 1.2 crore towards allotment of 12,00,000 equity shares and the actual approximate value of 12,00,000 equity shares to the tune of Rs 3,500 crore at the relevant time is nothing but proceeds of crime and all of you are possessing the said differential amount of Rs 3,498.8 crore projecting the same as untainted one and hence all of you are continuously committing an act of money laundering,” the notice alleges, adding that Kalanithi also received dividends worth Rs 5,926 crore in 2023 and Rs 455 crore in 2024.
The legal notice states that Dayanidhi intends to approach the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) for a government probe, citing alleged violations of company and criminal laws, including money laundering.
The notice demands that Kalanithi restore the entire shareholding structure of Sun TV Network and its group companies to the state it was in on September 15, 2003, by returning the shares to M K Dayalu and the legal heirs of the late S N Maran.
“Further, that he and his wife Kaveri Kalanithi are directed to return, without delay, the entirety of the monetary benefits, dividends, assets, and all forms of income unlawfully received or appropriated by them from the year 2003 till date, to M K Dayalu and the legal heirs of S N Maran.”