The Warehousing (Development and Regulation) Act, 2007

7. Duties of warehousemen. -

1.  In the absence of a lawful excuse, a warehouseman shall deliver the goods referred to in a negotiable receipt, to the holder of the receipt on demand made by the holder and on the holder fulfilling all the following conditions, namely:-

a.   satisfying the warehouse lien;

b.   surrendering the receipt in case of non-negotiable receipt and surrendering the receipt with endorsements in case of negotiable receipt; and

c.   acknowledging in writing the receipt of the goods.

2.  If a warehouseman refuses or fails to deliver the goods in compliance with the provisions of this section, the burden of proof shall lie on the warehouseman to establish the existence of a lawful excuse for the refusal or failure.