A significant legal battle has surfaced within the Tata Trusts ecosystem as former trustee Mehli Mistry has approached the Maharashtra Charity Commissioner, seeking a high-level probe into alleged irregularities. The petition centers on the Bai Hirabai Jamsetji Tata Navsari Charitable Institution, an affiliate of the Sir Ratan Tata Trust, and raises fundamental questions regarding the eligibility of its governing board members.
At the heart of the dispute is a century-old trust deed. Mistry argues that the appointment of two vice chairmen—Venu Srinivasan and Vijay Singh—is a “blatant violation” of the trust’s governing rules. Citing a deed dated December 1923, the petition maintains that all trustees of the institution must be members of the Zoroastrian community. Mistry contends that as non-Parsis, Srinivasan and Singh were ineligible for their roles from the outset.
The implications of this challenge extend beyond mere appointments. Mistry’s plea suggests that any decisions made with the participation of these individuals are legally invalid. This includes a circular resolution from October 2025 regarding Mistry’s own reappointment, which was ultimately not renewed. The petition names Tata Trusts Chairman Noel Tata and several other trustees as parties to the case, alleging maladministration and misrepresentation.
The Bai Hirabai Jamsetji Tata Navsari Charitable Institution holds significant heritage and community assets, including a fire temple, a school, and a Parsi residential colony in Navsari and Mumbai. Mistry believes that quick action from regulators is needed to make sure the trust’s original rules are followed, which state that only members of the Parsi community can be trustees.
This legal move follows a period of intensifying friction within the board. Mehli Mistry resigned in October 2025 after a tenure marked by differences over governance and board representation at Tata Sons. He has previously raised concerns regarding information sharing within the trust structure and attempted to remove Vijay Singh as a Tata Trusts nominee on the Tata Sons board. Mistry has characterized the subsequent decisions against his reappointment as “retaliatory.”
As the Charity Commissioner gets ready to look over the affidavit, the result could significantly impact how Tata Trusts and its related organizations are managed and how traditional trust rules are understood in today’s corporate-charity environment.
