Indian Contract Act Section 224 — Non-liability of employer of agent to do a criminal act

CHAPTER X AGENCY — Principal’s duty to agent

Commercial / Corporate

Summary

If a person hires another person to do something that is a criminal act, the employer is not required to compensate or protect the agent from the legal consequences of that act. This applies whether the employer made an explicit promise to cover the agent or whether such a promise was implied. In short, no one can claim payment or reimbursement for carrying out a crime on someone else's behalf.

Official Text

Where one person employs another to do an act which is criminal, the employer is not liable to the agent, either upon an express or an implied promise, to indemnify him against the consequences of that Act1. Illustrations