The Indian Contract Act, 1872

In one line

What this Act says

The grammar of every Indian contract — what makes an agreement enforceable (offer, acceptance, consideration, capacity, free consent, lawful object) and the consequences of breach.

• Breach of contract

  §73

  Damages (compensation for loss naturally arising from breach); no imprisonment — purely civil remedy.

• Failure to perform within agreed time (essence-of-time contracts)

  §55

  Contract becomes voidable at the option of the innocent party.

• Agreement caused by coercion, fraud, misrepresentation or undue influence

  §19, §19A

  Voidable at the option of the wronged party; restitution of benefits.

• Agreement with unlawful consideration or object

  §23, §24

  Agreement is void; no enforcement; partial unlawfulness can taint the whole.

Headline offences only — not exhaustive. For the full text and every section, open the source PDF or the official link below.

Maximum punishments as prescribed by the Act. Actual sentencing depends on facts, prior convictions and judicial discretion.

Sources

Read the Act yourself

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