Section 17 of HAM Act : Section 17: Prohibition Of Certain Payments

Explanation using Example

Imagine a couple, Ravi and Priya, who are looking to adopt a child. They come across an individual claiming to be an intermediary for an orphanage, who asks for a large sum of money in exchange for facilitating the adoption of a child. Ravi and Priya are informed that this payment is for the 'processing and handling' of the adoption procedure. However, they recall the provisions of Section 17 of The Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act, 1956, and realize that such a transaction is illegal. Instead of agreeing to the deal, they decide to report the individual to the authorities. Upon investigation, it is found that the intermediary was in violation of the Act by demanding a payment for the adoption. As a result, the individual is prosecuted, but only after the State Government gives the necessary sanction for the prosecution, as required by the law.