Mera Samvidhaan All of Indian Contract Act, 1872

Chapter IV · Of the Performance of Contracts

57Reciprocal promise to do things legal, and also other things illegal.

Section 57 · Chapter IV · Performance of reciprocal promises · page 26 of the Act

Where persons reciprocally promise, firstly, to do certain things which are legal, and, secondly, under specified circumstances, to do certain other things which are illegal, the first set of promises is a contract, but the second is a void agreement.

Illustrations

A and B agree that A shall sell B a house for 10,000 rupees, but that, if B uses it as a gambling house, he shall pay A 50,000 rupees for it.

The first set of reciprocal promises, namely, to sell the house and to pay 10,000 rupees for it, is a contract.

The second set is for an unlawful object, namely, that B may use the house as a gambling house, and is a void agreement.

Section 57 of The Indian Contract Act, 1872 is reproduced in full above, as printed by India Code, with its footnotes and amendment markers. Read the whole Act, or browse every Act on Mera Samvidhaan.