Tata Trusts on Friday said the amended Maharashtra Public Trusts Act does not affect the appointment of perpetual trustees made before September 1, 2025. The statement came shortly after Maharashtra Charity Commissioner directed the trusts to defer its board meeting planned on Saturday.
Tata Trusts, in its statement, noted that amendment to the public trust law is "prospective in nature", and does not affect the appointments that were made before the law came into effect.
Furthermore, it noted that the Bombay High Court has already disposed the petition that sought a stay on the scheduled meeting of Tata Trusts board. The plea was withdrawn on May 13 after the court observed that the petitioner was not the original complaint in underlying case before the Charity Commissioner.
The trusts also noted that it was not aware of any complaint raised by Venu Srinavasan, a trustee of Sir Ratan Tata Trust, till the reciept of directions from the Charity Commissioner on Friday to defer the upcoming meeting.
"Venu Srinivasan had previously acknowledged the notice of the Board meeting originally scheduled to be held on 8 May, 2026 and the notice of the meeting rescheduled to 16 May, 2026," Tata Trusts said.
"The directions received from the Office of Charity Commissioner are being examined by the Sir Ratan Tata Trust," the statement added.
Notably, 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.
ALSO READ: Petition Challenging Sir Ratan Tata Trust's Life Trustee Structure Withdrawn From Bombay High Court
Governance issues related to Tata Trusts 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.
ALSO READ: Legal Cloud Over Tata Trusts Board Meeting: All About The Now-Withdrawn Plea In Bombay HC
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