In which case was the principle of acceptance without knowledge of an offer established?

The principle of acceptance without knowledge of an offer is primarily established in the case of Lalman Shukla v. Gauri Dutt. In this case, the court ruled that an individual cannot accept an offer if they are not aware of it at the time of acceptance. Lalman Shukla was sent to look for a missing nephew, and during his search, the defendant offered a reward for the nephew's return. However, Shukla did not know about the reward when he found and returned the nephew. The court held that Shukla could not claim the reward since he accepted an offer he was unaware of at the time of the action.

This case illustrates the fundamental requirement of knowledge in the acceptance of an offer, emphasizing that acceptance must be connected to the knowledge of the offer itself to be valid. The decisions in the other cases focus on different aspects of contract law, such as the continuity of negotiations, the terms of an offer, or the validity of unilateral contracts, but do not specifically address the principle of acceptance without knowledge.