Amid Mehli’s challenge, Venu quits a Tata trust TVS Motor chairman emeritus Venu Srinivasan has resigned from the board of the Bai Hirabai Jamsetji Tata Navsari Charitable Institution (BHI), citing his focus on business operations. The move follows a legal challenge by former BHI trustee Mehli Mistry, who accused non-Zoroastrian trustees of violating the trust’s 1923 deed. Mistry’s petition to the Maharashtra Charity Commissioner argued that the trust’s founding document explicitly barred non-Zoroastrians and non-Mumbai residents from serving as trustees. This restriction applies only to BHI, unlike the other nine Tata Trusts, where Srinivasan continues to hold positions. Srinivasan’s resignation from BHI was confirmed by sources, though he did not respond to inquiries about the matter. Current trustees include Noel Tata, Jimmy Tata, Jehangir Jehangir, Darius Khambata, and Vijay Singh, a former defence secretary. Singh’s stance on Mistry’s petition remains unclear, as he declined to comment. Mistry contended that both Srinivasan and Singh lack Zoroastrian faith and permanent Mumbai residency, disqualifying them under the 1923 deed. He sought affidavits from all trustees to confirm compliance with eligibility criteria, emphasizing that any unqualified trustees could force the BHI board to fall below the minimum five-member requirement. Mistry’s legal arguments extended to claiming that Srinivasan and Singh’s appointments were void from the start, rendering their actions as trustees legally invalid. He alleged that their votes against his trusteeship extension constituted fraud and criminal breach of trust, potentially violating the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2024, and the Maharashtra Public Trusts Act, 1950.#venu_srinivasan #mehli_mistry #bhi #tata_trusts #swapnil_kothari
