Tata Trusts have sought another six weeks to file rejoinders to objections raised by former trustee Mehli Mistry before the Maharashtra Charity Commissioner, marking the third time the trusts have sought additional time in the ongoing proceedings over change reports relating to the trust boards.
Matters concerning the Sir Ratan Tata Trust (SRTT), Sir Dorabji Tata Trust (SDTT) and the Bai Hirabai Jamsetji Tata Navsari Charitable Institution (BHJTNCI) came up for hearing on Monday. While the SRTT matter was heard by the Assistant Charity Commissioner, the SDTT and BHJTNCI matters were taken up by the Deputy Charity Commissioner.
Applications filed by lawyers representing the trusts sought an adjournment to enable them to file rejoinders to replies submitted by the objector (Mistry). The applications stated that at least six weeks were required to prepare the rejoinders. The next hearing in all three matters has now been fixed for September 8.
The objections stem from complaints filed by Mistry earlier this year after his tenure as trustee was not renewed in October 2025. Among other allegations, Mistry has accused the trustees of governance lapses and sought that his complaint be made part of the inquiry already ordered by the Charity Commissioner into separate complaints filed by Venu Srinivasan and advocate Katyayani Agrawal.
In objections relating to the Bai Hirabai Jamsetji Tata Navsari Charitable Institution, Mistry has alleged that trustees Vijay Singh and Srinivasan do not satisfy the trust deed’s qualification criteria, which require trustees to be of the Parsi Zoroastrian faith and have permanent residence in the Bombay or Navsari region. He has sought an affidavit from trustees demonstrating compliance with these requirements.
Mistry has also challenged the change reports recording his cessation as trustee and sought restoration of the trust boards’ composition as it stood before his removal, pending final adjudication of the objections. Separately, his earlier complaint questioned alleged governance irregularities and raised conflict-of-interest concerns regarding commissions and remuneration received by certain trustees from Tata group companies, while also seeking the appointment of an independent administrator for the trusts.
Mistry failed to get a unanimous vote in favour of the renewal of his tenure as a Tata Trusts board member in October last year. In the following weeks, he resigned from the board. He currently serves as a lifetime trustee on one allied Tata Trusts board – the Tata Education and Development Trust board. He also stepped down from the board of RNT Associates, the family office of the late Ratan Tata a few weeks back.