S Shobha vs Muthoot Finance Ltd

The Supreme Court examined whether a private company, Muthoot Finance Ltd., could be considered a 'State' under Article 12 of the Constitution of India for the purpose of entertaining writ petitions. The High Court had held that since the company was registered under the Companies Act and did not perform sovereign functions, it could not be classified as 'State'. The Supreme Court upheld this reasoning, emphasizing that private companies not discharging public functions do not fall within the scope of Article 12, and thus, writ petitions against such entities are not maintainable.