Sun TV denies allegations levelled by DMK's Dayanidhi; BJP demands probe

Chennai: Sun TV, one of the largest television networks in the country, on Friday said that the legal notice issued to its chairman Kalanidhi Maran by his brother and DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran dates back to 22 years when the firm was a closely-held private limited company.

The legal notice in which Dayanidhi called for immediate and rigorous criminal investigation and prosecution against his elder brother also attained political proportions with the BJP demanding action against the company.

In a letter to the National Stock Exchange (NSE), Sun TV Network Limited, which owns 37 television channels in seven Indian languages reaching 140 plus million households across the country, said the articles on the legal notice issued by Dayanidhi to Kalanidhi, his wife Kaveri, and six others “does not have any bearing on the business of the company or its functioning.

The group also termed the dispute between the brothers as “purely personal in nature.”

Ravi Ramamoorthy, company secretary of Sun TV Network, told the NSE that the news articles “are incorrect, misleading, speculating, defamatory and not supported by facts or law.”

“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 said.

“The matters alleged in the articles do not have any bearing on the business of the company or its day-to-day functioning and being the family matter of the promoter are purely personal in nature,” he added.

The notice alleged that Kalanithi allotted 12 lakh equity shares of Sun TV Private Limited at a price of Rs 10 each to his name “without sufficient, proper valuation and fair consideration, and without obtaining consent from all other existing shareholders – the families of Murasoli Maran and M Karunanidhi.

“In other words, No 1 of you (Kalanithi) allotted 60 per cent of the shares without any consultation or approval from the existing majority/promoter original shareholders at face value of Rs 10 each,” the notice said and sought restoration of the entire shareholding position as it stood on September 15, 2003.

Meanwhile, former Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai said the allegations levelled by Dayanidhi against his brother Kalanidhi is “not just any corruption but public display of the Gopalapuram family's greed.” “The people deserve answers. The law must act,” Annamalai added.

Accusing his brother of indulging in money laundering, Dayanidhi also threatened to approach the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting seeking immediate cancellation of all licenses held by Sun Group, and the Registrar of Newspapers for India with a specific request for the immediate cancellation of the registration and publishing licences of newspapers.

Sources told DH that Kalanidhi and Dayanidhi have not been on talking terms for the past few years and the legal notice by the younger brother to his elder sibling brings to fore differences between the powerful brothers for the past few years, which have been doing the rounds as rumours.