Indian Contract Act, 1872
17. "Fraud defined
"Fraud" means and includes any of the following acts
committed by a party to a contract, or with his connivance, or by his agents
, with intent to deceive another party thereto or his agent, or to induce
him to enter into the contract:
(1) the suggestion as a fact, of that which is not true, by one
who does not believe it to be true;
(2) the active concealment of a fact by one having knowledge or
belief of the fact;
(3) a promise made without any intention of performing it;
(4) any other act fitted to deceive;
(5) any such act or omission as the law specially declares to be
fraudulent.
Explanation: Mere silence as to facts likely to
affect the willingness of a person to enter into a contract is not fraud,
unless the circumstances of the case are such that, regard being had to them,
it is the duty of the person keeping silence to speak, or unless his silence
is, in itself, equivalent to speech.
Illustrations
(a) A sells, by auction, to B, a horse which A knows to be
unsound. A says nothing to B about the horse's unsoundness. This is not fraud
in A.
(b) B is A’s daughter and has just come of age. Here the
relation between the parties would make it A's duty to tell B if the horse is
unsound.
(c) B says to A- "If you do not deny it, I shall assume
that the horse is sound". A says nothing. Here, A's silence is equivalent
to speech.
(d) A and B, being traders, enter upon a contract, A has private
information of a change in prices which would affect B's willingness to proceed
with the contract. A is not bound to inform B.