Employee of Society Under Article 12 Not Automatically a Government Servant : Supreme Court

The Supreme Court held that an employee of a society, even if the society qualifies as “State” under Article 12 of the Constitution, does not automatically become a government servant.

The ruling came in a case involving the termination of a junior weaver in a cooperative society, who had falsely claimed prior status as a government employee. The Court clarified that such societies are distinct legal entities, governed by their own service rules, and employment therein does not confer government servant status.

The Court dismissed the petitioner’s claim, noting his prior role as a crafts teacher in an autonomous body didn’t establish government employment.