Section 174: Pawnee not to retain for debt or promise other than that for which goods pledged

In plain words

Unless agreed, the pawnee cannot keep the pledged goods for any debt or promise other than the one they were pledged for. But such an agreement is presumed for later advances by the pawnee, unless something shows otherwise.

A simplified explanation, prepared with AI assistance from the official text below and checked automatically against it for numbers and cross-references. The official text is the law and prevails over this summary. Not legal advice.

Official text

The pawnee shall not, in the absence of a contract to that effect, retain the goods pledged for any debt or promise other than the debt or promise for which they are pledged; but such contract, in the absence of anything to the contrary, shall be presumed in regard to subsequent advances made by the pawnee.

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.

Supreme Court judgments citing the section 174

No Supreme Court judgment in our database cites this section yet.