Tata Sons has served another legal notice on ousted chairman Cyrus Mistry, asking him to return all confidential and sensitive information and documents in his possession “immediately”. The Tata Sons’ notice, the second this week, has also sought Mistry not to retain any copies of the documents.
Further, it also demanded a written declaration within two working days that he has not shared any confidential information to his family-owned firms and members.
"Our client has strong reason to believe that you are in possession of highly-valuable information and documents pertaining to our client and Tata Group companies, and have disclosed such information without prior authorisation and direction from the board of the directors of the company," the notice sent through Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co, said.
It also accused Mistry of “wrongfully and dishonestly” moving confidential information without the company’s consent. The notice alleged that those documents were obtained during his tenure as executive chairman and director of Tata Sons.
Responding to the notice, Mistry’s office said: “The Tata letter, termed a notice, is a request not to draw the attention of courts and tribunals to documents and records on the ground that they are confidential in nature.”
“Neither will we comment in public nor will we provide our correspondence to the media to make news. We will keep focus on the real and core issues in the relevant forums alone,” Mistry’s office said in an official statement.
“That their letters claiming confidentiality have been widely circulated to the media is ironical. We believe such conduct is unbecoming and interferes with justice administration,” it added.
Mistry office also said an affidavit has been filed in the NCLT today, National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) as sought by the tribunal. However, it did not provide of the same.
On December 20, Mistry had moved the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) to protect Tata Sons from “oppression and mismanagement”, even though the tribunal did not provide any interim relief. It had directed Mistry to file a reply within a week.
rajesh.kurup@thehindu.co.in