Doctrine of estoppel

A shopkeeper in Dadar tells a buyer, again and again, that the shop belongs to him, and the buyer pays a large advance on that basis. Years later the shopkeeper’s cousin dies and the shop really does come to him. Can he now say the sale was void because he had no title when he made it? Most people feel he should not be allowed to. The Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam gives that feeling a name, estoppel, and a rule.

In two minutes

Estoppel stops a person who, by his declaration, act or omission, intentionally caused or permitted another to believe a thing true and to act on it, from denying its truth against that person or his representative (s.121); the Act adds special estoppels for tenants and licensees (s.122) and for acceptors, bailees and licensees (s.123).

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