Hindu Law and Custom (Recht und Sitte) c8.121

c8.121

The law-books display a great deal of imagination in laying down means of preventing the embezzlement of the deposit by the depositary which probably took place very frequently: one should choose only a reliable and well-to-do man as depositary; witnesses may be called who must be present at that time as well as at the time of giving back the deposit; also the seal etc. must be intact when the deposit is given back; where witnesses are lacking the judge should test the honesty of the depositary by having another article deposited with him through the secret police and watching whether he gives it back or not; in a difficult case an ordeal may be resorted to, particularly in the case of secret deposits (M. 8, 179—184; Nār. 2,4; Bṛh. 12, 14). Embezzlement of, or falsely claiming, a deposit is severely punished.