‘Left with no other option…’: Mehli Mistry on why he opposed Venu Srinivasan, Vijay Singh’s Tata trust reappointment

Former Tata Sons trustee Mehli Mistry said he had no other option but to vote against the reappointment of Venu Srinivasan and Vijay Singh to the Tata Education and Development Trust (TEDT). Srinivasan and Singh’s tenure is scheduled to end on May 10. 

Mistry’s decision blocked the unanimous approval required to appoint an individual to the board. Tata Trusts CEO Siddharth Sharma confirmed that the reappointment resolution failed due to a lack of unanimity, and that the tenure of the duo is now going to end with the current term. 

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“Dear Siddharth, I do agree and stand by my decision not to renew the reappointment/tenure of both Venu and Vijay on the TEDT Trust. While I do shed crocodile tears for having to take such a decision, I was left with no other option. My affidavit in response to the Change report for SDTT explains the reasons why I chose to take such a decision. Can you please also disclose how all the other trustees voted, as I read in the newspapers that other Trustees have also voted? Kind Regards,” wrote Mistry to the CEO, according to ANI.

According to the report, Mistry said that the reasons were detailed in the affidavit filed in the response to the report concerning Sir Dorabji Tata Trust (SDTT). The report stated that Mistry referred to the same proceedings which, according to him, were used wrongfully to vote against him. He said Srinivasan participated in that vote without authority despite his tenure having ended.  

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Mistry is contesting his own removal from the trusts. 

He had earlier challenged the eligibility of Venu Srinivasan and Vijay Singh’s trusteeship in the Bai Hirabai Jamsetji Tata Navsari Charitable Institution (BHJTNCI). In less than 24 hours of Mistry’s objection, Srinivasan put in his resignation but Singh remained.