A writ petition filed before the Bombay High Court has sought the cancellation of a Tata Trusts meeting scheduled for May 8, alleging violations of Maharashtra's trust laws and questioning the validity of decisions taken after amendments to the state's public trusts framework.
The plea, filed by Suresh Tulsiram Patilkhede, argues that the Sir Ratan Tata Trust and related entities breached provisions introduced through amendments to the Maharashtra Public Trusts Act in September 2025. According to the petition, all resolutions and decisions taken after the amendment should be treated as invalid if the trusts are found to be non-compliant with the revised rules.
At the centre of the dispute is a provision in the Maharashtra Public Trusts Act that limits lifetime or perpetual trustees to 25% of a trust's board strength. The petition claims the Sir Ratan Tata Trust exceeds that ceiling, with three of its six trustees - Noel Tata, Jimmy Tata and Jehangir Jehangir - serving as perpetual trustees.
The legal challenge comes at a time when governance questions within the Tata Trusts network have widened beyond trustee appointments to broader concerns over board procedures and compliance with trust deeds across multiple entities.
The May 8 meeting is also expected to address differences involving trustee N Srinivasan and trustee Harish Bhat Singh, along with the Trusts' position that Tata Sons should remain unlisted, according to media reports, citing people familiar with the discussions.
Governance Questions
Governance issues have intensified in recent months following objections related to reappointment procedures and the validity of resolutions passed by certain trusts.
At the Tata Education and Development Trust, Mehli Mistry voted against the proposal to reappoint Srinivasan and Singh, whose terms expire on May 11. The trust's board has five trustees - Mistry, Noel Tata, J N Mistry, Srinivasan and Singh - and agenda items require unanimous approval to pass.
The immediate question is whether Srinivasan's continuation as vice-chairman of Tata Trusts could come under scrutiny after his exit from the Tata Education and Development Trust.
The development followed Srinivasan's resignation last month from the Bai Hirabai Jamsetji Tata Navsari Charitable Institution, where he stepped down citing other commitments. His exit came days after Mistry approached Maharashtra's charity commissioner questioning the eligibility of Srinivasan and Singh under the trust deed.
Complaints filed before the charity commissioner have raised concerns over trustee eligibility, board processes and compliance with governing rules across entities linked to Tata Trusts.
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