Sun Television
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Sun Television Network runs the most popular Tamil language satellite television channels in the world. It was started on 14 April 1992 by Kalanidhi Maran. At one point, Sun Television was the most viewed entertainment channel in India, as per BARC report.
The channel has the history of corruption, sexual harassment, criminal intimidation, paid news, fraud, money laundering, extortion, blackmailing, illicit-black-money (2G spectrum case) etc. Few of them are listed below:
1. April 2015: In Aircel-Maxis case Rs. 742 Crore worth of property of Sun Television and owner Kalanidhi Maran was impounded by the Enforcement Directorate for money laundering based on a CBI report.
1 April 2015: The Hindu - ED attaches Marans’ assets
Rs. 742.58 crore of property, investments impounded in Aircel-Maxis case
The Enforcement Directorate attached on Wednesday assets estimated at Rs. 742.58 crore held by former Telecom Minister Dayanidhi Maran and his brother Kalanithi Maran and wife Kaveri Kalanithi in the Aircel-Maxis deal case.
The ED is conducting an investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, based on Central Bureau of Investigation findings that the former Telecom Minister had allegedly received illegal gratification for the said sum from Maxis. Immovable assets estimated at Rs. 266 crore owned by Kal Comm Private Ltd.; Sun Direct TV Private Ltd. (SDTPL) shares amounting to Rs. 139 crore held by Kalanithi Maran; and Rs. 100 crore in fixed deposits and Rs. 2.78 crore in mutual fund investments by him were attached.
In Aircel-Maxis case Rs. 742 Crore worth of property of Sun TV and owner Kalanidhi Maran was impounded by the Enforcement Directorate for money laundering based on a CBI report.
2. July 2011: Sun Television COO Hansraj Saxena was arrested thrice for various cases of extortion and blackmailing.
12 July 2011: News18 - Sun Pictures COO Saxena arrested for third time
CHENNAI: For Hansraj Saxena, the Chief Operating Officer of Sun Pictures, trouble seems to come in threes. This time around, a producer lodged a police complaint against him, alleging extortion to the tune of Rs 3.37 crore at Kodambakkam, on Monday.
In his complaint, Nemi Chand Sabak (50) claimed that he had sold the distribution rights of his Tamil film Mapillai starring Dhanush to Sun TV pictures for Rs 17 crore.
Saxena paid Rs 15 crore and asked him to take over the distribution rights for Coimbatore region for the remaining amount.
Later, the Sun TV head claimed that the film did not do well at the box office and forced him to pay Rs 3.37 crore.
Kodambakkam police registered a complaint against Saxena and arrested him. With this, the Sun TV head has been arrested thrice.
In the first case against Saxens, he was arrested by the K K Nagar police following a complaint of cheating to the tune of Rs 83 lakh lodged by TS Selvaraj, the Salem-based owner of Kandan Films.
Subsequently, he was arrested by the second time in connection with another complaint of cheating and criminal intimidation lodged by Salem-based Saravana Films distributor, Shanmughavelu.
3. After one of his arrests, Sun TV COO Hansraj Saxena confessed on a written affidavit and on TV that the channel had created the false video of His Holiness Paramahamsa Nithyananda and actress Ranjitha for the purpose of extortion.
11 March 2014 - Saxena Confession
4. Jan 2015: The next COO of Sun TV, C Praveen, was also arrested on sexual harassment complaints filed by a former staff of the television network.
10 January 2015: Times of India - Sun TV COO arrested on sexual harassment charges