One of the Indian Premier League’s (IPL) top teams, Sunrisers Hyderabad, is facing serious allegations of financial misconduct and money laundering involving its ownership.

 

According to Indian media, Dayanidhi Maran, founder of Sun TV Network and a former government minister, has accused his brother, Kalanithi Maran, chairman of Sun Group and owner of the Sunrisers Hyderabad franchise. Kalanithi is also the father of Kavya Maran, the team's CEO.

 

In a legal notice, Dayanidhi claimed that Kalanithi manipulated the family's media empire to take full control. According to him, this plan started in 2003 when their father, Murasoli Maran, was severely ill and the family was in a vulnerable position.

 

Dayanidhi alleged that Kalanithi allotted 1.2 million shares to himself at only ₹10 per share (approximately PKR 33), even though the actual market value at the time was between ₹2,500 and ₹3,000 per share (around PKR 8,200 to PKR 9,800). As a result, the family’s ownership dropped from 50 percent to just 20 percent, causing a financial loss of around ₹3,498.8 crore (roughly PKR 115 billion).

 

He further claimed that Kalanithi used the illegally obtained funds to buy several companies and assets, including Sun Direct TV, SpiceJet, South Asian FM, Sun Pictures, Kal Airways, and the Sunrisers Hyderabad franchise. He also pointed to investments in T20 leagues in South Africa and the United Kingdom.

 

The notice also stated that Sun TV falsely reported paying ₹10.64 crore (about PKR 351 million) in dividends to their mother in 2005, which Dayanidhi says never happened.

 

He alleged that the purchase and funding of the Sunrisers Hyderabad franchise were carried out using illegal money, which qualifies as a crime under the anti-money laundering law. Dayanidhi demanded that Kalanithi Maran and his wife Kavery Maran return all shares and assets to their original 2003 state, along with the profits they earned, or face civil and criminal cases.

 

He also revealed that their sister Anbukkarasi was paid ₹500 crore (around PKR 16.5 billion) in 2024 through a private settlement to stop her from pursuing legal action.

 

This case is no longer just a family inheritance dispute. The accusations involve corporate fraud, corruption, and money laundering that could seriously impact the future of Sun TV and its associated companies, including the IPL franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad.