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'It is not in the interest of the child to be declared a bastard'
Rejecting veteran Congress leader Narayan Dutt Tiwari's plea, the Delhi high court on Thursday directed him to undergo a DNA test to ascertain the veracity of a young man's claim that he is his biological son.
Justice S Ravindra Bhat said, "There is imminent need for him to give blood sample to conduct the scientific test."
The court turned down the 85-year-old former Andhra Pradesh Governor's plea that he cannot be forced to undergo the DNA test, saying it is the right of a child to know his or her biological father.
"...It is not in the interest of the child to be declared a bastard," the court said. Justice Bhat passed the order on a paternity suit filed by 31-year-old Rohit Shekhar, claiming to be biological son of Tiwari.
Justice Bhat had reserved his order on September 21 after hearing the contention of Shekhar, his mother Ujjwala Sharma and Tiwari.
Tiwari vehemently opposed the plea of the petitioner and pleaded that he cannot be forced to undergo the DNA test.
The high court had earlier rejected Tiwari's plea for dismissal of the petition on the ground that it was filed 31 years after Rohit was born in order to malign his image.
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ND Tiwari must undergo DNA test: Delhi HC
A bench comprising Justices Vikramjit Sen and Mukta Gupta refused to permit Tiwari to amend his application in which he had opposed the claim made in the paternity suit.
84-year-old Tiwari had approached the division bench after a single judge of the high court had on August 13 dismissed his plea seeking changes in the paternity suit filed by Rohit Shekhar.
Dismissing Tiwari's application, Justice S Ravindra Bhat had then imposed a cost of Rs 75,000 on him.
Through his application, Tiwari had raised objections to the additional facts incorporated by Rohit Shekhar in his fresh paternity suit.
"Rohit should have sought the court's permission to amend the suit with the new fact that he had tried to meet Tiwari at an airport in 2005," said Tiwari in his application.
Tiwari had quit as Andhra Pradesh Governor following allegations of his involvement in a sex scandal inside Raj Bhavan.