The Bombay High Court on Thursday refused an urgent hearing of a petition that sought to stay the Sir Ratan Tata Trust (SRTT) board meeting scheduled for Friday, allowing the meeting to proceed as planned. The petition, filed by Suresh Tulsiram Patilkhede, a 61-year-old resident of Thane, had requested the court to block the meeting and prevent SRTT trustees from making or implementing decisions related to appointments and governance. Patilkhede had earlier filed a complaint with the Maharashtra charity commissioner, which remained unanswered.
Allegations of Unlawful Board
In his petition, Patilkhede alleged that the current SRTT board is unlawful under a 2025 amendment to the Maharashtra Public Trusts Act. He sought a stay on the board meeting and any decisions arising from it. However, the court was not convinced about the urgency of the matter.
Court's Observations
SRTT, which had filed a caveat to ensure no interim order was passed without hearing its side, informed the court through its counsel Janak Dwarkadas that the matter had already been mentioned on Wednesday and urgent listing had been declined. The court observed that the matter could not be repeatedly mentioned for identical reliefs. Justice T Raja, a former Madras High Court chief justice appearing for Patilkhede, sought permission to approach the vacation bench. The court clarified that no separate permission was necessary, as the court goes into summer recess from Saturday. Patilkhede can approach the vacation bench if he is aggrieved by the decisions taken at Friday's SRTT board meeting.
Key Agenda of the Meeting
Friday's board meeting is expected to review the nominees of SRTT and the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust on the board of Tata Sons, where the two trusts collectively hold a controlling 52% stake. The deliberations could potentially lead to the removal of vice-chairman Venu Srinivasan from the Tata Sons board.
The development comes amid ongoing governance discussions within the Tata Group. The board's decisions could have significant implications for the leadership structure of Tata Sons, one of India's largest conglomerates.
