Virender Chaudhary vs Bharat Petroleum Corp. & Ors

The Supreme Court ruled that under Article 12 of the Constitution of India, a company can be considered a State when it performs public functions, such as the allotment of LPG distributorship. The Court held that candidates convicted of crimes involving moral turpitude or economic offences are ineligible for such distributorships, as stated in the eligibility criteria of the advertisements issued by the company. The Court upheld the cancellation of the fifth respondent's empanelment due to his failure to disclose his criminal charges, affirming the principle that non-disclosure of relevant information in applications can lead to disqualification.