Noel Tata, Son File Caveats In Mumbai Courts In Tata Trusts Battle

Mumbai: Tata Trusts Chairman Noel Tata and his son Neville Tata have filed caveats in the Bombay High Court as well as a Mumbai Civil Court in connection with the ongoing dispute involving trustees Venu Srinivasan and Vijay Singh.

According to the filing made available on the court website, Noel Tata and Neville Tata as caveators, and estranged trustees Venu Srinivasan and Vijay Singhas caveatees. The caveats were filed on October 7.

A caveat is a precautionary measure under Section 148A of the Civil Procedure Code (CPC) to ensure that no ex parte or interim orders are passed by the courts against those filing the caveat -- called caveators -- without giving them a chance to be heard.

 

Surprisingly, the other trustees of the Sir Dorabjee Tata Trust (SDTT) -- of which Venu Srinivasan and Vijay Singh are also trustees -- including Bhaskar Bhat and Darius Khambata have also been named as caveators. Bhat and Khambata had co-signed a letter along with Noel and Neville Tata, rejecting Venu Srinivasan and Vijay Singh's charges of governance lapses at the SDTT and accusing them of going against the settled position of the Trusts on keeping the Tata group holding company Tata Sons unlisted.

 

Noel and Neville Tata had earlier filed similar caveats with the Mumbai Charity Commissioner as well. The Charity Commissioner's office is inquiring into the complaint filed by Srinivasan and Singh against Noel Tata's appointment as a perpetual trustee on the SDTT board, as well as the appointment of his son Neville Tata on to the SDTT board.

The duo had also alleged governance lapses at SDTT and accused the Tata duo of interference in the governance of Tata Sons, charges which the two have denied. NDTV Profit, citing sources, has reported that the Charity Commissioner has granted an extension of time till October 19 for Noel and Nevile Tata to file their replies to the charges against them.