24 December,2010 07:21 AM IST | | MiD DAY Correspondent
Delhi High Court directed the former Andhra Pradesh Governor to undergo scrutiny to ascertain the veracity of a young man's claim that he is his biological son
Veteran Congress leader ND Tiwari may have refuted 34-year-old Rohit Shekhar's claims, but the law does not take chances. On Thursday, Delhi High Court rejected the former Uttarakhand's Chief Minister's plea and asked him to undergo a DNA test on a suit filed by a young man claiming to be his biological son.
"I am not seeking voting rights or right to have beer in a bar. I want my paternity rights and now I am very happy," said Rohit Shekhar, while coming out of the court.
Citing international laws that it is the right of a child to know its paternity, Justice S Ravindra Bhat said in his order that for establishing that the court can order such test in the interest of that individual.
"Unless the Court feels in certain circumstances that it is against the interests of the child to know of its paternity, the Court is justified in ascertaining the paternity of the child through reliable scientific tests such as DNA tests," the court said.
"I am not seeking headlines. I could not fight earlier because of depression. I have been under stress since I was about 20 and have suffered life-threatening heart attacks. I am not asking Tiwari because he is not worth it. I am asking the honourable court for my rights. After today's directive I feel justice has been delivered. The court has differentiated between legitimacy, illegitimacy and paternity," Rohit said.
Tiwari, who has held the posts of Chief Minister of undivided Uttar Pradesh and later Uttarakhand, had opposed the paternity suit filed by 31-year-old Rohit Shekhar claiming to be the biological son born out of a relationship between his mother Ujjwala Sharma and the leader.
| Son rise? |
| Narayan Dutt Tiwari, who last year resigned as Andhra Pradesh Governor in the midst of allegations of sexual misconduct, had countered the allegations claiming that he never had any physical relationship with Ujjwala, who is also a Congress activist, and Rohit was not entitled to seek a DNA test as a matter of right. |
