Tata Charitable Trust dispute, Mehli Mistry approaches Charity Commissioner:Two board members’ appointments declared illegal

Mehli Mistry, a close associate of Ratan Tata, has approached the Charity Commissioner regarding the board composition of a charitable trust associated with the Tata Group. Mistry has challenged the decision not to renew his tenure as a trustee of the ‘Bai Hirabai Jamshedji Tata Navsari Charitable Institution’. In his petition, he has claimed that some board members do not meet the eligibility criteria according to the trust deed rules, therefore the decisions taken by them are not legally valid. What is the entire matter? Mehli Mistry was appointed as a trustee for a three-year term from October 29, 2022. In October 2025, a proposal for renewal of his tenure came up, which was rejected by the trust’s board. Mistry argues that some of the trustees who voted against him are themselves not entitled to hold that position. According to a Moneycontrol report, Mistry has filed an objection against the ‘Change Report’. Reference to 1923 Trust Deed Mistry’s petition mentions the original Trust Deed dated December 7, 1923. According to the petition, this deed stipulates two mandatory conditions for becoming a trustee Questions raised over appointment of Venu Srinivasan and Vijay Singh The petition directly states that Venu Srinivasan and Vijay Singh have never been and cannot be of the Parsi Zoroastrian faith. Additionally, Mistry has alleged that these two are not even permanent residents of Mumbai. Mistry claims that their appointments were not proper from the beginning, therefore any action taken by them is not legally valid. Who did what in the voting? The details of the voting regarding Mistry’s tenure in the October 2025 Circular Resolution are as follows… Mistry says that if the votes of disqualified trustees are removed, then the resolution not extending his tenure will automatically fall. No meeting held in the last 2 years Mistry has also raised questions about the functioning of the trust. He informed the Charity Commissioner that according to his knowledge, no official meeting of the trust has been held in the last two years. He termed this as a lack of transparency and accountability. The petition has demanded that the Charity Commissioner examine the trust’s records and minute book and obtain affidavits from all trustees stating whether they meet the eligibility criteria or not. Crisis over the existence of the trust An important legal complication raised in the petition is that if ineligible trustees are removed, the mandatory minimum number of 5 members in the trust will fall short. In such a situation, Mistry has demanded the appointment of an administrator in place of the current board. However, Mistry clarified that his objective is not his own reinstatement, but to protect the original purpose of the trust and the interests of the Parsi community. What is Heerabai Charitable Trust? This is an old charitable trust that was specifically created for the welfare and religious activities of the Parsi community of Navsari (Gujarat). Established during the early days of the Tata family, the deed of this trust is very strict, which gives only people from the community the right to manage it.