2. According to Sec 15 coercion means
“Committing or threaten to commit any act
forbidden by Indian Penal Code 1860 or
unlawful detaining or threating to detaining any
other persons property with a view to enter into
an agreement. It is immaterial whether the IPC
is or is not in force where the coercion is
employed”
The threat amounting to coercion need not
necessarily be from a party to contract , it may
also proceed from a stranger to the contract.
3.
4. 1.Chikkim Ammiraju vs. Seshamma: (1918)
the question before the Madras High Court was that
whether coercion could be caused by a threat to commit
suicide. In this case a Hindu by a threat of suicide induced
his wife and son to execute a release deed in favour of his
brother in respect of certain properties claimed as their
own by the wife and the son. The question before the court
was whether a threat to commit suicide could be
considered to be an act forbidden by the Indian Penal
Code. It was held by Wallis, C.J. and Seshagiri Ayyar, J.
that a threat to commit suicide amounted to coercion
within the meaning of Section 15 of the Indian Contract
Act and therefore the release deed was voidable.
