New Delhi: The DNA test on N D Tiwari has revealed that he is the biological father of a 32-year-old youth who on Friday won a five-year-long legal battle on a paternity suit which the veteran Congress leader tried to scuttle from the beginning.
In a first of its kind case involving a politician in India, the Delhi High Court made public the result of the DNA test report, rejecting 87-year-old Tiwari’s last ditch attempts to keep it a secret.
Tiwari had rejected the claim of Delhi-based law graduate Rohit Shekhar that he was his biological son.
It may be mentioned that Tiwari had married in 1954 Sushila Sanwal who died in 1993. The couple had no offspring.
The Congress leader had moved seven appeals in the Supreme Court and in the Delhi High Court, first refusing to give his blood sample and later trying to block the report being made public.
Declaring the result of the DNA test conducted at the Hyderabad-based laboratory, Justice Reva Khetrapal said, “As per the report, Tiwari is reported to be the biological father of Rohit Shekhar and Ujjwala Sharma is reported to be the biological mother.”
Justice Khetrapal’s order came after a division bench of Acting Chief Justice A K Sikri and Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw dismissed Tiwari’s appeal against the single judge’s July 19 decision, saying “Not opening the DNA report may lead to a lengthy process”.
In Dehra Dun, Tiwari refused to come before the media but circulated a press statement saying he has no grudge against Rohit and that there was a “conspiracy” to malign him.
“Due to my simplicity, at this point of my age, my trusted people hatched a conspiracy against me in a planned way. I have no remorse against them. My sympathy is with Mr Rohit Shekhar. I also have no grudge against Mr Rohit Shekhar,” he said.
An emotional Rohit said, “Tiwari’s legal troubles will mount now. He will pay for all the hurt he has caused my mother for so many years.”
Ujjwala said,”It is upto Rohit, whether he now wants to add ‘Tiwari’ to his name.”
Legal experts say Rohit can now seek inheritance rights and have a valid claim to the properties of Tiwari.
Earlier, during the day, the division bench concurred with the order of Justice Khetrapal that the report cannot be kept confidential as the apex court did not order so.
“We are in agreement with the single judge that nowhere the Supreme Court in its order stated that the DNA profile shall be kept in a sealed cover till the conclusion of trial. This DNA report is a piece of evidence,” the bench said.
“The purpose was to cut short the controversy and to avoid an unnecessarily prolonged trial. If the sample is not opened now, it may lead to unnecessary cross-examination of the witnesses. We do not find merit in the petition, so it is dismissed,” it said.
In his appeal, Tiwari had pleaded with the court to protect his “right to reputation,” contending that the single-judge bench has adopted a “shortcut” to decide the suit and it would cause “grave injustice” to him. (PTI)