Indian Contract Act, 1872 · Chapter IX: Of Bailment · Bailments of pledges
Section 178: Pledge by mercantile agent
1Where a mercantile agent is, with the consent of the owner, in possession of goods or the document of title to goods, any pledge made by him, when acting in the ordinary course of business of a mercantile agent, shall be as valid as if he were expressly authorised by the owner of the goods to make the same; provided that the pawnee acts in good faith and has not at the time of the pledge notice that the pawnor has not authority to pledge.
Explanation.— In this section, the expressions mercantile agent and "documents of title" shall have the meanings assigned to them in the Indian Sale of Goods Act, 1930 (3 of 1930).
Source: India Code (indiacode.gov.in), the consolidated text published by the Legislative Department, Government of India. Text as updated on India Code on 15 October 2026. Words in square brackets [ ] were inserted or substituted by later amending Acts, and *** marks words omitted by an amendment. The amendment footnotes are not reproduced here. Official text on India Code.