Noose set to tighten for the Maran brothers as Karunanidhi looks away

The past has come to haunt the Maran brothers as the long arm of law appears to catch up with them anytime. But, even in the DMK, no tears are being shed for the current plight of the duo - former Union ministerDayanidhi Maranand media czar Kalanidhi Maran. Rather there is glee among the party cadres at their discomfiture.

Neither could they count on the support of the patriarch M Karunanidhi, their great grand uncle. That the octogenarian had left them to fend for themselves was made clear long back when the CBI registered a case against Dayanidhi with regard to the Aircel-Maxis deal. Now the senior Maran's much acclaimed 'Midas Touch' too has come under the scanner of the CBI.

"He is capable of defending the case," was the response of the old fox Karunanidhi then and there has been no change in his stance. And Dayanidhi too was forced to echo the same. The hands off approach was least surprising as the divide in the Karunanidhi family runs deep though much water has flown under the bridge after the patch up that followed the banishment of the Marans in May 2008.

Compounding Marans cup of woes is the fact that they do not command an independent following in the DMK. Now, with the noose tightening around their neck, the duo appear to be heading towards political isolation and la affaire Maxis has become the proverbial millstone around their neck.

The Marans' rise as media moghuls from nowhere and their stranglehold over the southern skies was spectacular, evoking awe as well as indignation. Their vast media and entertainment empire includes Sun TV network with 20 channels and 45 FM channels, DTH service, two newspapers and four magazines apart from film production and distribution business besides stepping into aviation.

In 2004, the DMK wrested the telecom ministry and Dayanidhi was catapulted to Sanchar Bhawan. By hindsight, it could be said that this was the beginning of the nemesis for the Karunanidhi clan.

But, much before the Aircel-Maxis controversy broke out Dayanidhi faced the allegation of threatening the Tata group to part with stakes in Tata Sky, the DTH service which was in direct competition with Sun DTH.

When the 2G spectrum scam exploded, many in the DMK believed that the Maran duo had played a crucial role in the expose to settle scores with Dayanidhi's successor, A Raja. Proving their calculations wrong, it had hurt the party more besides engulfing themselves.

The Marans who built their vast empire with questionable means, now find themselves in a quicksand of their own making.