The Indian Contract Act, 1872
15. “Coercion” defined
“Coercion” is the committing, or threating to commit, any act forbidden by the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860) or the unlawful detaining, or threatening to detain, any property, to the prejudice of any person whatever, with the intention of causing any person to enter into an agreement.
Illustrations
A, on board an English ship on the high seas, causes B to enter into an agreement by an act amounting to criminal intimidation under the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860).
A afterwards sues B for breach of contract at Calcutta.
A has employed coercion, although his act is not an offence by the law of England, and although section 506 of the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860) was not in force at the time when or place where the act was done.
COMMENTS
An act forbidden by the Penal Code
The threat of suicide amounts to coercion within section 15; Chikam Amiraju v. Chickam Seshamma, (1912) 16 IC 344.
