Tata Trusts row: Noel files caveat in HC, city civil court

MUMBAI: Sir Dorabji Tata Trust (SDTT) chairman Noel Tata and his son Neville Tata, who is also a trustee, have filed caveats in the Bombay High Court and the city civil court in response to complaints lodged by fellow trustees Venu Srinivasan and Vijay Singh before the Maharashtra charity commissioner. The complaints relate to the trust's governance, including Noel Tata's role at Tata Sons and Neville Tata's appointment as a trustee.The caveats, filed on Oct 7, are precautionary measures intended to ensure that Noel and Neville are heard before any order is passed on applications arising from the complaints. The filings also name other SDTT trustees, including Darius Khambata and Bhaskar Bhat. However, people familiar with the matter said the inclusion of the other trustees was procedural.Noel and Neville, who also sit on the boards of other Tata Trusts that hold stakes in Tata Sons, have filed similar caveats in both forums in response to the complaints lodged by Srinivasan and Singh.On Monday, the Commissioner gave SDTT, Noel and Neville until Oct 19 to respond to the complaints filed by Srinivasan and Singh after they sought additional time to make their submissions. The trust and its trustees had originally been required to respond by Oct 12.SDTT is the largest shareholder in Tata Sons and occupies a central position within the Tata Trusts network, which collectively controls a majority stake in the holding company of the Tata group.You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.