Former Tata Trusts trustee Mehli Mistry has filed an affidavit before the Maharashtra Charity Commissioner seeking a probe into alleged irregularities at an affiliate of Tata Trusts, according to a report in Mint.
Mistry has questioned the appointment of two vice-chairmen – Venu Srinivasan and Vijay Singh, arguing that, as non-Parsis, they were ineligible to serve under the trust’s governing rules. He has also named Tata Trusts Chairman Noel Tata and other trustees as parties to the petition.
Trust deed at the centre of dispute
The plea pertains to the Bai Hirabai Jamsetji Tata Navsari Charitable Institution, an affiliate of the Sir Ratan Tata Trust. Mistry cited clauses in the trust deed dated December 1923, which mandate that all trustees must be Zoroastrians and bar the appointment of non-Parsis.
In his petition, he argued that the appointments violated these provisions and questioned how individuals who did not meet the prescribed qualifications could function as trustees. The petition further alleged that decisions taken with their participation, including a circular resolution related to his own reappointment in October 2025, were invalid.
Allegations of maladministration
Mistry’s petition described the appointments and subsequent actions as a “blatant violation” of the trust deed, alleging maladministration and misrepresentation. It called for immediate regulatory intervention to ensure accountability.
The charitable institution holds properties in Navsari and Mumbai, including a fire temple, a school, and a Parsi residential colony, and operates under provisions that restrict trusteeship to members of the Zoroastrian community.
Background to the dispute
Mistry resigned from Tata Trusts in October 2025 after his term was not renewed. He has maintained that his removal followed differences with other trustees, particularly over governance and board representation at Tata Sons.
The dispute intensified after Mistry and other trustees moved to remove Singh as a Tata Trusts nominee on the Tata Sons board, citing concerns over information sharing within the trust structure. He has described subsequent decisions against him as retaliatory.
The Sir Dorabji Tata Trust and Sir Ratan Tata Trust together hold a majority stake in Tata Sons, the holding company of the Tata Group, giving the issue wider governance significance.
The Charity Commissioner is now expected to examine whether the appointments and related decisions complied with the trust deed and applicable regulations.
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