Sir Dorabji Tata Trust (SDTT) lodged its reply with the Maharashtra Charity Commissioner (MCC) on Monday, just before the Oct 19 deadline imposed after the commissioner granted an extension from Oct 12. The filing follows complaints lodged on Sept 25 by trustees Venu Srinivasan and Vijay Singh, accusing SDTT of appointing Noel Tata as a perpetual trustee and his son, Neville Tata, without involving Srinivasan in the decision‑making process.
The complainants also allege that Noel Tata has steered commercial and strategic affairs of Tata Sons, the trust’s largest shareholder, by helping negotiate liquidity for the Shapoorji Pallonji Group. They seek interim directions to suspend or remove trustees, bar Noel from Tata Sons matters, and prevent him from voting on SDTT’s behalf at shareholder meetings.
A SDTT spokesperson confirmed the response has been filed but declined to disclose its contents, noting the submission spans dozens of pages. The spokesperson added that the trust will cooperate fully with MCC’s investigation.
MCC has already barred the Sir Ratan Tata Trust from holding trustee meetings pending a separate inquiry into Srinivasan’s complaints. After reviewing SDTT’s submission, MCC will decide whether to enact interim measures or proceed with a formal investigation.