Federal Bank Ltd vs Sagar Thomas & Ors

The Supreme Court held that the Federal Bank, being a private entity incorporated under the Indian Companies Act, 1913, does not fall under the definition of 'State' or 'other authority' as per Article 12 of the Constitution of India, thus making a writ petition under Article 226 against it not maintainable. The Court distinguished the case from U.P. State Co-operative Land Development Bank Ltd. vs. Chandra Bhan Dubey & Ors., emphasizing that the Federal Bank's operations, while significant, do not equate to public duties as defined in constitutional terms. The appeal by the Federal Bank was allowed, overturning the High Court's decision that deemed the writ petition maintainable.