Indian Contract Act, 1872 · Chapter III: Of Contingent Contracts · When contracts may be enforced, which are contingent on specified event not happening within
Section 36: Agreement contingent on impossible events void
In plain words
A contingent agreement to do or not do something if an impossible event happens is void, whether or not the parties knew it was impossible.
Example: A agrees to pay B 1,000 rupees if B marries A's daughter C, but C was already dead. The agreement is void.
A simplified explanation, prepared with AI assistance from the official text below and checked automatically against it for numbers and cross-references. The official text is the law and prevails over this summary. Not legal advice.
Official text
Contingent agreements to do or not to do anything, if an impossible event happens, are void, whether the impossibility of the event is known or not to the parties to the agreement at the time when it is made.
Illustrations
(a) A agrees to pay B 1,000 rupees if two straight lines should enclose a space. The agreement is void.
(b) A agrees to pay B 1,000 rupees if B will marry A's daughter C. C was dead at the time of the agreement. The agreement is void.
Source: India Code (indiacode.gov.in), the consolidated text published by the Legislative Department, Government of India. Text as updated on India Code on 15 October 2026. Words in square brackets [ ] were inserted or substituted by later amending Acts, and *** marks words omitted by an amendment. The amendment footnotes are not reproduced here. Official text on India Code.
Supreme Court judgments citing the section 36
No Supreme Court judgment in our database cites this section yet.