The appellants, Dileep Kumar Pandey (Physical Education Teacher) and Sanjay Kumar Sharma (Commerce Teacher), challenged their dismissal by the Air Force School, Bamrauli, through writ petitions filed before the Allahabad High Court. They argued that the school qualifies as a “State” under Article 12 of the Constitution due to significant control by the Indian Air Force (IAF) and receipt of public funds. While the Single Judge accepted this view, the Division Bench held that the school was a private entity and thus not subject to writ jurisdiction. On appeal, the matter reached the Supreme Court. One of the judges opined that the school is amenable to writ jurisdiction under Article 226 because it performs a public function (education), is governed by IAF officers through its Managing Committee, receives public funding (including tax exemptions and land), and because teachers, as part of the educational process, have service conditions that involve a public law element. However, by a 2:1 majority, the Supreme Court dismissed the appeals, holding that the writ petitions were not maintainable.