Legal Battle Brews as Mehli Mistry Fights Removal from Tata Trusts

Industrialist Mehli Mistry has filed a caveat petition before the Maharashtra Charity Commissioner, ensuring he is heard before any move is made to remove him as a trustee of Tata Trusts. This pre-emptive step prevents any order being passed against him without a fair hearing. Mistry has also garnered the support of Ratan Tata’s half-sisters, Shireen and Deanna Jeejeebhoy, who have voiced concern over attempts to oust him. Senior lawyer Darius Khambata — a close confidant of Mistry and co-executor of Ratan Tata’s will along with Shireen and Deanna — also backed Mistry, reflecting a deepening divide within the powerful Trusts, which collectively hold a 66% stake in Tata Sons.

The legal challenge threatens to complicate the plans led by Noel Tata’s camp and could trigger another high-profile governance battle. The role of Ratan Tata’s brother, Jimmy Tata, however, remains ambiguous. Though a trustee of Sir Ratan Tata Trust, he abstained from voting on Mistry’s renomination, consistent with his earlier decision to remain neutral during the vote to remove Cyrus Mistry in 2016–17. Sources indicate that copies of the caveat have been served to all trustees, including Noel Tata, signalling Mistry’s readiness to contest what he sees as a flawed and unjust decision regarding his continuation. He is likely to argue that a resolution adopted on October 17, 2024, shortly after Ratan Tata’s passing, granted him lifetime tenure unless he chose to resign.

Tensions escalated further when Tata Trusts unanimously reappointed Venu Srinivasan as a lifetime trustee last week, a move Mistry supported but with the condition that all future renewals must be unanimous. The Noel Tata-aligned members reportedly ignored this condition, raising concerns about erosion of the consensus-based approach that defined Ratan Tata’s leadership. With both factions remaining silent publicly, the caveat signals that Mehli Mistry has no intention of stepping aside quietly, setting the stage for a potentially prolonged internal conflict over governance and legacy within the Tata Trusts.

Pic Courtesy: google/ images are subject to copyright