Former independent director in the board of three Tata Group companies, Nusli Wadia, filed a defamation case against Tata Sons and Ratan Tata on Friday, reported ANI. He has also named Chief Operating Officer and Secretary of Tata Sons, FN Subedar, as one of the accused, The Hindu reported.
The complaint has been filed under Section 500 (defamation) of the Indian Penal Code that entails a punishment of imprisonment for up to two years or a fine, or both. “By making false and baseless innuendos and allegations against the complainant [Wadia], the accused have caused distress, hurt and humiliation, as well as pecuniary loss, social disadvantages, injury to feelings, mental pain and suffering to the complainant,” read his petition, according to The Hindu.
In his complaint, Wadia named Group Executive Chairman of Larsen and Toubro AM Naik, chairperson of Tata Communications Subodh Bhargava, independent director of Tata Motors Vinesh Jairath and many other well-known people as his witnesses, reported Livemint.
Reacting to it, Ratan Tata said there has been a deliberate attempt to damage his reputation. He added that the “truth will prevail, whatever the process may be and however painful it may be”, reported PTI. The defamation case comes after shareholders at Tata Steel and Tata Motors voted to remove Wadia from his post with immediate effect.
This is the second defamation petition filed by Wadia. On December 16, he had filed a similar suit, claiming Rs 3,000 crore from Tata and Tata Sons.
The decision to remove Wadia and ousted Tata Sons chairman Cyrus Mistry from the boards of the three companies was made on November 11, following a Tata Chemicals’ board meeting at which Wadia and a few other independent directors supported Mistry as the chairman of the board. However, Wadia said Tata Sons had removed him from companies under the group for his independence of “mind and action”. “Allegations levelled against me by Tata Sons that I have been acting in concert with Cyrus Mistry are totally false and baseless,” he had said.
Mistry was ousted as chairman of Tata Sons on October 24.
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