Latest on Tata Trusts trusteeship Issue
Mehli Mistry, a long-time associate of the Tata Group, has filed a caveat with the office of the Charity Commissioner in Mumbai, seeking to be heard before any change is made in the list of trustees of Tata Trusts, according to CNBC TV18.
Mistry was reportedly ousted after three out of five trustees voted against the renewal of his term with the Tata Trusts. The three trustees who voted against Mistry were Vijay Singh, Noel Tata, and Venu Srinivasan.
As per CNBC-TV18 report, Mistry, a long-time associate of the Tata Group, has referred to a communication dated October 17, 2024, which he says requires that all trustees be reappointed as permanent trustees once their current terms expire.
Charity Commissioner’s office to consider caveat
Under the Maharashtra Public Trusts Act, 1950, the Charity Commissioner is the regulatory authority overseeing charitable trusts in Maharashtra. As per the Act, Tata Trusts must inform the commissioner’s office within 90 days of any change in its list of trustees.
According to CNBC-TV18, the Charity Commissioner, being a quasi-judicial body, is likely to consider Mistry’s caveat and hear his side once Tata Trusts formally communicates any change in its trusteeship to the regulator.
First board meeting since Mistry’s exit on November 11
The Tata Trusts board is scheduled to meet on November 11, its first session since Mistry’s exit, according to CNBC-TV18. His tenure ended without a formal reappointment, and no official communication about his departure has been circulated to other trustees.
The rift at Tata Trust began when the majority of the trustees voted against Vijay Singh’s reappointment to the Tata Board. This incident reportedly divided the Tata Trusts into two factions, one led by Noel Tata and another by Mehli Mistry. When Mehli Mistry’s three-year term came to an end on 28 October, the faction led by Noel Tata, including Vijay Singh and Venu Srinivasan, voted against Mistry’s term renewal.
