Indian Contract Act, 1872 · Chapter IV: Of the Performance of Contracts · By whom contracts must be performed
Section 44: Effect of release of one joint promisor
In plain words
If the promisee releases one joint promisor, the others are not discharged, and the released promisor is still responsible to the other joint promisors.
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
Where two or more persons have made a joint promise, a release of one of such joint promisors by the promisee does not discharge the other joint promisor or joint promisors neither does it free the joint promisors so released from responsibility to the other joint promisor or joint promisors.1
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 44
No Supreme Court judgment in our database cites this section yet.