Rahul found a smart watch in a restaurant. He enquired about all the customers present there but the true owner could not be found. He handed over the same to the manager of the restaurant to keep till the true owner is found. After a week he went back to the restaurant to enquire about the smart watch. The manager refused to return it to Rahul, saying that it did not belong to Rahul. In the light of the Indian Contract Act, 1872, can Rahul recover it from the Manager?

Responsibility of finder of goods (Section 71 of the Indian Contract Act, 1872): A person who finds goods belonging to another and takes them into his custody is subject to same responsibility as if he were a bailee. Thus, a finder of lost goods has: (i) to take proper care of the property as man of ordinary prudence would take (ii) no right to appropriate the goods and (iii) to restore the goods if the owner is found. In the light of the above provisions, the manager must return the smart watch to Rahul, since Rahul is entitled to retain the smart watch found against everybody except the true owner.