Noel, Neville Tata file caveats as Tata Trusts dispute escalates; SDTT reply due October 19

Tata Trusts chairman Noel Tata and his son Neville have filed preventive caveats in the Mumbai City Civil Court and the Bombay High Court amid a governance dispute at the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust (SDTT), where fellow trustees Venu Srinivasan and Vijay Singh have sought a regulatory inquiry.

The caveats were filed on October 7, according to media reports citing court records. The filings seek to ensure that the applicants are given an opportunity to be heard before any orders are passed against them. The Bombay High Court filing, as reported by ANI citing online court records, lists Noel Tata and another person as caveators without identifying the second person. The City Civil Court filing has been reported as naming Noel and Neville Tata.

The Maharashtra Charity Commissioner has extended the deadline for SDTT to submit its response to the complaints until October 19, from the earlier deadline of October 12.

Dispute over trustee appointments and Tata Sons

Srinivasan and Singh approached the Charity Commissioner in the last week of September, raising questions about Noel Tata’s appointment as a perpetual trustee and chairman, and Neville Tata’s induction as a trustee.

Srinivasan also sought scrutiny of an SDTT circular resolution dated September 16, which he alleged was intended to restrict his independent vote on a proposed listing of Tata Sons. The trust holds a 27.98% stake in Tata Sons, the holding company of the Tata Group.

Singh has raised concerns that SDTT’s involvement in Tata Sons’ commercial and strategic affairs could put its charitable status and tax exemptions at risk. These are arguments advanced by the complainants; the reports reviewed do not record a regulatory finding that the trust has breached any rules.

Separately, seven Tata trusts other than SDTT have reportedly filed 84 caveats before the Charity Commissioner in connection with the dispute.

Noel Tata rejects allegations

In a five-page letter dated October 5, Noel Tata, Neville Tata, Bhaskar Bhat and Darius Khambata rejected the complaints, according to media reports. They defended the September 16 resolution and said the trusts had long maintained that Tata Sons should remain unlisted.

The letter also accused Srinivasan and Singh of contradicting their calls for collective deliberation by approaching the Charity Commissioner. The allegations and counterclaims have not been adjudicated.

The caveats are preventive legal steps and do not settle the underlying governance dispute. SDTT’s response is now due on October 19. The submission will give the commissioner the trust’s formal position on the allegations and determine the next stage of the regulatory proceedings.