Abstract

In contract law, the principle of free consent is crucial because it safeguards agreements against coercion, duress, or misrepresentation, ensuring justice and equity. The legal matter of Lakshmi Amma v. T Narayana Bhatta provides an illustration of this principle's critical nature. With poor health and diminished mental ability, Narasimha Bhatta was purportedly persuaded to sign a settlement deed that was disputed for undue influence by his grandson, T Narayana Bhatta. The deed gave the grandson full ownership of Narasimha's holdings, but Lakshmi Amma, Narasimha's wife, filed legal challenges, claiming her husband signed the deed under duress and incompetence. Due to respondent's undue influence and Narasimha's mental state being compromised, the trial court initially declared the deed and will to be invalid. The Supreme Court affirmed this ruling, emphasizing that the deed was voidable due to the lack of free consent, as mandated by the Indian Contract Act of 1872. The respondent used his dominant position over the mentally and physically weak Narasimha to exert undue influence, as noted by the court. The case serves as a reminder of the court's examination of consent in contract law and the safeguards it provides against improper influence. It illustrates how the legal system keeps contracts equitable and keeps weaker parties from being taken advantage of. In order to maintain the integrity of legal agreements, this ruling upholds the idea that contracts must be entered into voluntarily and free from coercion or manipulation.

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