- Trustees alleged governance lapses against Noel, Neville Tata.
- Noel, Neville Tata filed caveats in Bombay, Mumbai courts.
- Caveats ensure they are heard before any adverse court order.
As a governance dispute within Tata Trusts moves closer to a legal footing, Chairman Noel Tata and his son Neville Tata have moved to make sure they are heard before any court order is passed against them.
Citing filings available on the eCourts website, Financial Express reported that the two have lodged caveats in both the Bombay High Court and the Mumbai City Civil Court, in connection with the row involving fellow trustees Venu Srinivasan and Vijay Singh.
The caveats were filed on 7 October. They name Noel and Neville Tata as caveators, and Srinivasan, Singh, Darius Khambata and Bhaskar Bhat as caveatees, according to the filings.
Why Noel and Neville Tata Filed Caveats
A caveat is a legal safeguard rather than a legal challenge. It asks the court to ensure that no order is passed in a particular matter without first notifying the person who filed it and giving them a chance to be heard.
Legally, the step makes sense in this case because Srinivasan and Singh specifically named Noel and Neville Tata in their complaints. Filing caveats in their individual names, the report said, would help protect their interests by ensuring they are given a hearing before any ex parte order, one passed in their absence, can be issued.
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Why Khambata, Bhat Are Named as Caveatees
The inclusion of Khambata and Bhat among the caveatees has drawn attention, given that both have been seen as aligned with Noel Tata. Citing legal experts, the media report explained that when trustees file caveats in a dispute involving other trustees, all trustees may need to be named as parties. Because Noel and Neville Tata are family members, Khambata and Bhat were also named as caveatees, people familiar with the matter said.
Executives close to the developments maintained that the listing is purely procedural and does not signal any change in loyalties. They said both trustees continue to support Noel and Neville Tata, and that the filings are understood to have followed legal advice obtained by the trust.
A Tata Trusts spokesperson said the position of Khambata and Bhat on the ongoing matters “remains unchanged.”
That position was also reflected in a recent letter to Singh and Srinivasan, signed by Khambata and Bhat alongside Noel and Neville Tata, which challenged concerns raised over the governance of the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust (SDTT). The letter was seen as an indication that both trustees continued to back Noel Tata.
From Charity Commissioner to Bombay High Court: The Timeline
The sequence of events began in the last week of September, when Srinivasan and Singh lodged complaints with the charity authorities alleging governance lapses and irregularities in trustee appointments. Both complaints specifically name Noel and Neville Tata.
In response, Noel and Neville Tata filed caveats with the Charity Commissioner of Maharashtra, covering all seven trusts that hold stakes in Tata Sons.
On October 5, the Charity Commissioner informed Noel Tata and SDTT by email about the complaints and set a deadline of October 12 for their response. SDTT later sought more time and was granted an additional week, until 19 October, to submit its reply.
The caveats in the Mumbai courts were filed on October 7, while the trust was still preparing its response to the Charity Commissioner.
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Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: abplive.com
