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Maharashtra State Charity Commissioner connected Friday directed Tata Trusts to defer the projected gathering of the committee of trustees scheduled for May 16, citing a pending probe into the alleged usurpation of norms related to the committee creation of Sir Ratan Tata Trust.
The Charity Commissioner besides asked the Trust not to clasp immoderate specified meetings till the enquiry is completed.
In a directive to the committee of trustees of the Tata Trusts, Charity Commissioner, Maharashtra State, Mumbai, Amogh S Kaloti, said a absorption for an inspector enquiry has already been passed and a study is awaited pursuing a ailment regarding the creation of the Board of Trustees of Sir Ratan Tata Trust.
Tata Trusts Vice Chairman Venu Srinivasan besides made a practice to the Charity Commissioner.
Comments from Tata Trusts could not beryllium obtained arsenic a mailed query remained unanswered.
The Charity Commissioner was asked to nonstop the spot to comply with the mandatory conditions by reducing the fig of perpetual trustees to not much than one-fourth of the full strength, which is simply a maximum of 1 perpetual trustees successful a Board of six members.
"...in workout of the powers conferred upon the Charity Commissioner, i.e., the undersigned, by Section 36A(1) and different provisions of the Maharashtra Public Trusts Act, a absorption is issued to the Board of Trustees of TATA Trusts to defer the gathering of the Board of Trustees scheduled to beryllium held connected 16-05-2026. It is further directed not to clasp immoderate specified gathering till submission of the study of the Inspector Inquiry," said the directive.
When contacted, advocator Katyayani Agrawal, who had archetypal made a practice for the urgent involution of the Charity Commissioner successful the matter, confirmed receipt of the missive from the Charity Commissioner's office, asking Tata Trusts to postpone the gathering scheduled for Saturday.
"The foundation commissioner has written to Tata Trusts asking to defer each the aboriginal committee meets, including 1 connected Saturday. The inspector appointed volition behaviour an enquiry and taxable a study to the foundation commissioner," Agarwal told PTI.
Advocate Agrawal has been sent a transcript of the connection addressed to the committee of Trustees of Tata Trusts.
In a practice connected April 18 this twelvemonth via email, Agrawal had sought the involution for usurpation of Section 30A(2) of the Maharashtra Public Trusts Act and asked the Charity Commissioner to workout statutory powers nether the Maharashtra Public Trusts Act.
The said section, amended successful September 2025, restricts perpetual oregon beingness trustees connected a spot to maximum of 25 per cent of the wide committee strength. As per reports, 3 of the six trustees astatine Sir Ratan Tata Trust are beingness ones.
Citing practice by Advocate Katyayani Agrawal and Venu Srinivasan, the Charity Commissioner said the "issues highlighted by them are superior and necessitate owed consideration".
An inspector enquiry into these complaints has already been ordered, and a study of the enquiry is awaited, the directive said.
"In case, a gathering of the Board of Trustees is called, and immoderate important decisions regarding the administration, absorption oregon creation of the Trust are taken during pendency of the said inquiry, that would pb to further complications and multiplicity of the proceedings," it said.
It would truthful beryllium successful the involvement of the Trust arsenic good arsenic the involvement of justness that specified gathering is deferred till submission of the study of the Inspector inquiry, the Charity Commissioner said successful the directive.
Last week, a committee gathering of the Trusts to reconsider nominations to the committee of Tata Sons was postponed to May 16, with nary reasons specified for the alteration contempt the Bombay High Court declining to enactment the gathering of Sir Ratan Tata Trust (SRTT), which owns 23.6 per cent of Tata Sons, the holding institution of the implicit USD 180 cardinal Tata Group.
A petition had challenged the meeting, citing that the trust's existent committee creation breached statutory limits introduced nether the Maharashtra Public Trust (Second Amendment) Act, 2025.
It cited that SRTT presently has six trustees and 3 of them — Jimmy Naval Tata, Jehangir HC Jehangir, and Noel Naval Tata — are beingness trustees, constituting 50 per cent of the board, exceeding the statutory ceiling of 25 per cent.
