Two philanthropic bodies under the Tata Trusts umbrella—the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust (SDTT) and the Bai Hirabai Jamsetjee Tata Navsari Charitable Institution—have questioned the legal standing of industrialist Mehli Mistry before the Charity Commissioner’s office. In affidavits submitted on Thursday, the trusts contended that Mistry’s tenure as trustee concluded on October 28, 2025, leaving him without the legal authority (locus standi) to contest their administrative decisions or operational governance. Allegations of Governance Lapses and Conflicts of Interest Mehli Mistry, a close confidant of the late Ratan Tata, had approached the Charity Commissioner alleging significant administrative irregularities, opaque decision-making processes, and potential conflicts of interest within the trusts’ leadership. Responding to the allegations, both trusts filed separate affidavits asserting that Mistry had been appointed for a defined three-year tenure that has since expired. They maintained that a former trustee cannot legally dictate or challenge internal trust administration. The trusts requested the Charity Commissioner first to determine whether Mistry’s petition is maintainable and within the authority’s jurisdiction before deliberating on the merits or directing any inquiry. SDTT further clarified that the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust, Sir Ratan Tata Trust (SRTT), and the Bai Hirabai Trust operate as independent public charitable entities—each possessing separate governing deeds, boards, asset structures, and financial books. Consequently, they urged the authority to reject Mistry’s petition seeking consolidated proceedings. Dispute Over Trust Deed Eligibility Clauses The Bai Hirabai Trust also took issue with Mistry’s interpretation of Clauses 6 and 18 of its governing deed, which define eligibility criteria for trustees regarding religious faith and domicile. The trust argued that these stipulations conflict with the core provisions of the founding will and its codicil, rendering them non-binding. The Charity Commissioner has granted Mistry until November 5 to respond to the trusts’ affidavits. Noel Tata Proposed as Reporting Trustee Amid these proceedings, the Bai Hirabai Trust moved an application to designate Noel Tata as the reporting trustee following the earlier resignation of Vijay Singh. Mistry filed a counter-application demanding an affidavit from the trust confirming that Noel Tata satisfies the eligibility parameters set out in the founding trust deed dated December 7, 1923. According to Mistry, the deed mandates that trustees must belong to the Parsi community and actively practice Zoroastrianism, while also requiring permanent residency in Mumbai or Navsari. He further alleged that certain current board members fail to meet these foundational criteria. Separately, representatives for the Sir Ratan Tata Trust informed the Charity Commissioner of severe operational hurdles stemming from a May 15 directive that barred the trust from convening board meetings. Post navigation ED Seizes Assets Worth Over ₹2,000 Crore of Reliance Power Under FEMA
