(1.) The appellant was working with respondent No.2 herein, namely, Stock Holding Corporation of India (hereinafter referred to as 'the Corporation'). He joined the corporation as Junior Executive on 22.03.1999 and after earning few promotions reached to the rank of Assistant Manager.
(2.) The appellant filed writ petition under Article 226 of the Constitution of India questioning the validity of the aforesaid order primarily on the ground that even when the order was stigmatic in nature which was passed without following the procedure established by law and violating the principles of natural justice, inasmuch as no departmental enquiry was held.
(3.) The Corporation in its reply took a preliminary objection to the maintainability of the writ petition on the ground that it was a private body and not an authority or instrumentality or agency of the State under Article 12 of the Constitution of India. This contention is accepted by the learned Single Judge while dismissing the writ petition stating that the appellant cannot enforce the contract of service which was admissible only under three situations and the case of the appellant was not covered by any of those categories which are as follow:-