Tata-Mistry case: SC dismisses review plea of Shapoorji Pallonji Group against ouster of Cyrus Mistry

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed a plea of Shapoorji Pallonji group seeking a review of the top court's 26 March 2021 judgment upholding the Tata group's decision to remove Cyrus Mistry from the position of Executive Chairman of Tata Sons.

A bench headed by Chief Justice NV Ramana also ordered the deletion of certain remarks made against Cyrus Mistry in the March 2021 verdict.

Senior advocate Harish Salve, appearing for the Tata group, said the court may permit the deletion of one or a few sentences but not for the reasons given in the application of the Shapoorji Pallonji (SP) group.

The Supreme Court had earlier said that it would hear the review petition filed by Shapoorji Pallonji Group challenging its March 26 verdict in the dispute between Tata Sons Limited and Cyrus Mistry in open court. In the said dispute, the top court had ruled in favour of Tata.

The apex court in its 26 March 2021 judgment had set aside the December 2019 order of the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT), which reinstated Cyrus Mistry as the Chairperson of Tata Sons Limited.

The NCLAT, in its December 2019 judgment, held that the proceedings of the Board meeting of Tata Sons held on 24 October 2016 for removing Cyrus Mistry as Chairperson was illegal.

The SP Group and Cyrus Mistry had approached the apex court in April 2021, seeking a review of its March 26 judgment endorsing the Tata Son's decision to remove him as the chairperson.
 

Mistry, who was the sixth chairman of Tata Sons, was ousted from the position in October 2016. He had taken over as the chairman in December 2012 after Ratan Tata announced his retirement. N Chandrasekaran later took over as Executive Chairman of Tata Sons.

A bench of then Chief Justice of India SA Bobde and Justices AS Bopanna and Ramasubramanian in the judgement had expressed that the ouster of Mistry not only as Executive Chairman but also Director was justified. (ANI)