Section 19: Voidability of agreements without free consent.

Q: What does Section 19 of The Indian Contract Act, 1872 (ICA) deal with?

Section 19 ICA pertains to "Voidability of agreements without free consent.". It is part of the The Indian Contract Act, 1872, a legislation enacted by the Parliament of India. Section 19 of The Indian Contract Act, 1872 (ICA) governs voidability of agreements without free consent. As verified on 19 May 2026.

Q: Is Section 19 ICA still in force?

Yes, Section 19 of the The Indian Contract Act, 1872 is currently in force across the Republic of India.

Q: What is धारा 19 ICA?

धारा 19 ICA is the Devanagari Hindi reference for Section 19 of the The Indian Contract Act, 1872. Section 19 of The Indian Contract Act, 1872 (ICA) governs voidability of agreements without free consent. As verified on 19 May 2026.

Q: What is Dhara 19 ICA?

Dhara 19 ICA is the Roman Hindi reference for Section 19 of the The Indian Contract Act, 1872. "Dhara" means "Section" in Hindi. Section 19 of The Indian Contract Act, 1872 (ICA) governs voidability of agreements without free consent. As verified on 19 May 2026.

Q: How to cite Section 19 of The Indian Contract Act, 1872?

Cite as: "Section 19, The Indian Contract Act, 1872 (ICA)" in legal briefs. For academic writing, use the BlueBook format: The Indian Contract Act, 1872, § 19 (India).

Law on Tips Editorial Board

When consent to an agreement is caused by coercion, ¹ *** fraud or misrepresentation, the agreement is a contract voidable at the option of the party whose consent was so caused.
A party to a contract whose consent was caused by fraud or misrepresentation, may, if he thinks fit, insist that the contract shall be performed, and that he shall be put in the position in which he would have been if the representations made had been true.
Exception.—If such consent was caused by misrepresentation or by silence, fraudulent within the meaning of section 17, the contract, nevertheless, is not voidable, if the party whose consent was so caused had the means of discovering the truth with ordinary diligence.
Explanation.—A fraud or misrepresentation which did not cause the consent to a contract of the party on whom such fraud was practised, or to whom such misrepresentation was made, does not render a contract voidable.
Illustrations
(a) A, intending to deceive B, falsely represents that five hundred maunds of indigo are made annually at As factory, and thereby induces B to buy the factory. The contract is voidable at the option of B.
(b) A, by a misrepresentation, leads B erroneously to believe that, five hundred maunds of indigo are made annually at As factory. B examines the accounts of the factory, which show that only four hundred maunds of indigo have been made. After this B buys the factory. The contract is not voidable on account of As misrepresentation.
(c) A fraudulently informs B that As estate is free from incumbrance. B thereupon buys the estate. The estate is subject to a mortgage. B may either avoid the contract, or may insist on its being carried out and the mortgage debt redeemed.
(d) B, having discovered a vein of ore on the estate of A, adopts means to conceal, and does conceal, the existence of the ore from A. Through As ignorance B is enabled to buy the estate at an under-value. The contract is voidable at the option of A.
(e) A is entitled to succeed to an estate at the death of B, B dies: C, having received intelligence of Bs death, prevents the intelligence reaching A, and thus induces A to sell him his interest in the estate. The sale is voidable at the option of A.

1. The words "undue influence " rep. by Act 6 of 1899, s. 3.