Noel Tata, chairman of Tata Trusts, and his son Neville Tata have filed caveats in the Bombay High Court as a dispute over the governance of the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust (SDTT) intensifies. The move comes a week after the two made similar filings in the Mumbai City Civil Court, sources told NDTV Profit on Wednesday.
The legal step follows a complaint by trustees Venu Srinivasan and Vijay Singh to the Maharashtra Charity Commissioner, raising allegations of governance lapses at SDTT.
A caveat seeks to ensure that those filing it get an opportunity to present their side before a court passes an order in a matter concerning them. The filings do not establish the merits of the dispute or indicate that any allegations have been proved.
Who has been named in the caveats?
Noel and Neville Tata filed caveats in the Mumbai City Civil Court on October 7, 2026, and have now extended the move to the Bombay High Court.
The filings name co-trustees Venu Srinivasan, Vijay Singh, Darius Khambata and Bhaskar Bhat as caveatees. Sources at Tata Trusts said the inclusion of Khambata and Bhat was procedural.
The developments come as the Maharashtra Charity Commissioner examines a complaint concerning SDTT's administration. Tata Trusts has been granted an extension until October 19 to respond to the complaint, moving the deadline from October 12.
What is the complaint against SDTT?
Srinivasan, an SDTT trustee and nominee director on the Tata Sons board, sought an immediate inquiry into the trust's administration and governance towards the end of September. In a letter titled "Illegal and Irregular Appointment of Perpetual Trustee and Serious Governance Lapse", he said he was acting "with a view to preserving the institutional integrity and proper administration of SDTT". He also sought a freeze on changes to the SDTT board during the inquiry.
A key issue is SDTT's Circular Resolution No. 107, circulated on September 16. Srinivasan alleged that the resolution was "an extraordinary attempt to prevent me from exercising my independent judgement and vote".
He further claimed it was intended "to neutralise my position as a Trustee because it differed from that of certain other Trustees". Srinivasan also described the move as "a power grab within SDTT" and linked it to his exclusion in November 2025.
These remain allegations in a complaint that is yet to be resolved.
Legal questions at the centre of the dispute
According to sources aware of the filings, multiple trusts within the Tata Trusts group submitted 84 caveats before the Maharashtra Charity Commissioner to ensure they are heard before orders are passed.
Gaurav Singh, counsel at Clavius Legal, told NDTV, "With caveats in the City Civil Court and the Bombay High Court, and 84 more before the Charity Commissioner, both camps clearly expect the Commissioner's ruling on the Srinivasan-Vijay Singh complaint to be challenged, whichever way it goes."
He said the complaint raises questions over the appointment of perpetual trustees under the 2025 amendment to the Maharashtra Public Trusts Act and whether SDTT could use Circular Resolution No. 107 to restrict a trustee's voting rights as a Tata Sons director.
The trust governance dispute is unfolding alongside a wider disagreement over Tata Sons, including whether the holding company should pursue a public listing. Tata Trusts holds around 66 per cent of Tata Sons, while the Shapoorji Pallonji Group owns about 18.37 per cent.