Mr Mistry has found support from some independent directors like Nusli Wadia, who sits on the boards of some group companies including Tata Motors, owner of luxury automaker Jaguar Land Rover, and Tata Steel. In a scathing 13-page letter to shareholders, seen by Reuters on Wednesday, Mr Wadia, who has been with Tata for about four decades, said Tata Sons "sought to illegally and inappropriately influence events and coerce the directors". Mr Wadia, head of the Wadia group that has business interests ranging from textiles to aviation, alleged that Tata Sons hurriedly sought legal advice to influence Nov 14 meetings of Tata Motors' independent directors and its board of directors. At a meeting on that day, Tata Motors' independent directors gave a tacit nod to Chairman Mistry, but stopped short of an outright endorsement.