Weeks after launching a legal offensive against his elder brother Kalanithi Maran over Sun TV Network shares, DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran has agreed to withdraw his notice, thanks to behind-the-scenes mediation by their uncle and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin.
A reliable source confirmed on Sunday evening that Stalin intervened and resolved the dispute between the brothers. “Yes, Dayanidhi will withdraw the legal notice,” the source stated.
Dayanidhi had accused Kalanithi of transferring lakhs of Sun TV shares to himself, allegedly bypassing family agreements. The shares, valued in the thousands of crores, have yielded Kalanithi ₹5,926 crore in dividends up to 2023, and ₹455 crore in 2024 alone, according to Dayanidhi’s June 10 notice.
This isn’t the first time Stalin has acted as peacemaker. In 2008, he helped mend a rift between the Marans and M K Alagiri, with support from Kanimozhi.
The legal battle also referenced past tensions following the death of their father, Murasoli Maran, in 2003. Then, DMK patriarch Karunanidhi had urged an internal resolution over property division, with Dayanidhi reportedly expressing faith in his brother to act in the family’s interest.
However, business ties deteriorated over the years. The Sun TV Network, which posted a ₹4,544 crore turnover and ₹1,654 crore net profit for FY 2024–25, became the flashpoint. Dayanidhi had even threatened action through SEBI, SFIO, ED, and other regulatory bodies if his demands weren’t met.
The truce now brings temporary calm to one of Tamil Nadu’s most high-profile business family disputes.