Indemnity Bond and Undertaking in Siliguri
An indemnity bond is your promise to cover a loss if a fact you stated turns out to be wrong, for example that a certificate is lost or that you are the only claimant. An undertaking is a promise to do, or not do, a stated act. The Hill Cart Road notary can attest the signature if you appear. The bond does not force the bank or the society to accept it.
Where these papers are asked for
Banks, companies, housing societies and colleges in Siliguri ask for an indemnity when they are about to issue a duplicate certificate, release a deposit, or correct a name, and they want someone to bear the risk if a second claimant appears. An undertaking is softer in tone but still a promise, often to a court office or a department, that you will file an original later.
Read the amount of responsibility before you sign. 'Unlimited' is a word to stop on.
The promise and the notary
An indemnity is a contract under the Indian Contract Act, 1872. The notary's attestation is under the Notaries Act, 1952. If the bond is stamped, the Indian Stamp Act, 1899 as applied in West Bengal decides the stamp. Notarisation at this chamber starts at Rupees 100. Stamp paper, when your paper needs it, is extra and follows the West Bengal rate in force that week. Send the details on WhatsApp and we'll reply with the exact cost. The stamp depends on the bond in front of you.
Attestation does not make the promise safer for you. It makes your signature harder to deny. If you cannot meet the promise, do not sign it in the hope that nobody will enforce it.
What to bring
Bring the letter that demanded the bond. Their format sometimes has to be followed word for word.
The person who promises
- Photo identity
- The letter asking for the bond
- Facts you can actually stand behind, such as a loss diary
- A second surety only if their format names one, and that person must come too
If it is an undertaking to an office
- The notice or the court slip
- The date by which you must do the act
- Nothing you cannot finish
Which case is yours?
Find the row that matches your papers. The first step is yours. The last column is the office that still has to accept the paper.
| Your situation | What you do first | Who else is involved |
|---|---|---|
| A bank or company wants a duplicate certificate | Bring their letter and your identity. A surety comes too if the form names one | The bank, company, or society that will keep the bond |
| An office wants an undertaking to file an original later | Bring the notice and the date you must meet | That office or the court file named on the notice |
| The amount is blank | Do not sign a bond that leaves the promise empty | The chamber will not attest a blank obligation |
First 24 hours
Read the letter that demanded the bond, including any amount and any surety. If their format must be followed word for word, bring that sheet.
You sign a promise. If you cannot meet it, do not sign it. The notary seal makes your signature harder to deny. It does not insure you.
How the visit goes
Come to the PNB building chamber, Hill Cart Road, opposite Meghdoot Cinema Hall.
- Read the burden We go through what you must pay or do if the statement fails. If you do not accept that, we do not attest.
- Keep their wording if they insist Some banks reject any draft but their own. We will use their sheet if it is lawful and you understand it.
- Sign in person Sureties, if any, sign before the notary as well. A bond signed at home and brought in is not attested as if we saw it signed.
When you know which row matches your papers, call or send them on WhatsApp.
Risks
People treat an indemnity as a formality. It can be a real debt if a second original appears or a second heir claims the money. Do not sign as a surety for a neighbour's story you do not know. Do not copy a bond amount from another file.
An undertaking to a court is not casual. Missing the date you promised can be raised in that case.
Limits
The notary does not insure you, and the bond is not a government guarantee. The recipient can still refuse the bond and ask for a different surety. There is no cooling-off period unless the bond itself says so. Cancelling it later needs the person who holds it to agree, or a lawful discharge.
Why you should not sign a blank bond
A blank indemnity, with the amount filled later, is how people discover a promise they never made. You should not sign a bond that leaves the promise blank. Send the details on WhatsApp and we'll reply with the exact cost and bring the demanding letter.
Pressure at the counter
Clerks sometimes say the bond is 'just a paper'. It is a paper with a promise. If you need a night to ask your family, take it. The chamber would rather see you twice than watch you sign a surety you cannot honour.
What we do
We draft or check the bond and attest the signature. We do not become your surety.
- Explain the promise in ordinary words
- Follow the bank or society format where it is required
- Attest at the notary chamber
- Refuse a blank amount
- Tell you to send the details on WhatsApp and we'll reply with the exact cost
Questions people ask
How much does an indemnity bond cost?
Notarisation at this chamber starts at Rupees 100. Stamp paper, when your paper needs it, is extra and follows the West Bengal rate in force that week. Send the details on WhatsApp and we'll reply with the exact cost.
How long does attestation take?
Often one visit if every person who must sign is present and the format is already known. A surety who is absent means a second visit.
Is an undertaking the same as an indemnity?
No. An undertaking is your promise to do an act. An indemnity is your promise to cover a loss if a fact you stated turns out to be wrong. If the letter uses both words, read the sentences that say what you must do.
Can I sign for my brother as surety without reading?
You can sign only for yourself, and you should read. His debt can become a demand on you.
Will the bank accept your draft?
Only if their letter allows any draft. If they enclosed a format, bring that format.
What if I cannot pay if something goes wrong?
Then do not sign. Tell the office that asked you. A notary seal will not protect you from the promise.
Do you keep the original bond?
No. The person who demanded it usually keeps the original. Keep a copy for yourself.
Talk to the office
Bring the papers you have. Notarisation at this chamber starts at Rupees 100. Stamp paper, when your paper needs it, is extra and follows the West Bengal rate in force that week. Send the details on WhatsApp and we'll reply with the exact cost.
This page is general information for people in Siliguri and North Bengal. It is not legal advice for your papers. Rules, stamp requirements and office practice change. Call the chamber before you rely on it.