N D Tiwari Loses Paternity Case

New Delhi, Jul 27 (IANS): Veteran Congress leader N.D. Tiwari is the biological father of Rohit Shekhar, the Delhi High Court ruled Friday after the DNA test reports were opened.

Rohit Shekhar, 32, had in 2008 filed a suit claiming to be 87-year-old Tiwari's son.

Justice Reva Khetrapal opened the report in her chamber and declared the result in an open court.

The DNA report confirmed that Tiwari is the biological father of Shekhar. "The report was unsealed and the result has been declared to the extent that as per the DNA report the defendant no.1 (N.D. Tiwari) is the biological father of plaintiff (Shekhar) and defendant no.2 (Ujjwala Sharma) is the biological mother of Shekhar," the judge said.

Tiwari's counsel were not present in court when the judge opened the sealed cover of DNA report and declared the result.

The court stated: "Counsel for the plaintiff (Shekhar) and counsel for defendant no.2 (Shekhar's mother) state that matter was taken in appeal before division bench. Counsel stated that appeal has been dismissed this morning and there is no bar now on opening of sealed cover."

The judge observed that nobody had appeared on Tiwari's behalf even though it was 4 p.m. and nor had any request been made for an adjournment on his behalf.

"... accordingly sealed cover received from The Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics (CDFD), Hyderabad be opened and result placed on the file, and sealed cover will be opened in chamber and result be declared in the open court."

Earlier in the day, the court dismissed Tiwari's plea to keep his DNA test report confidential.

A division bench of Acting Chief Justice A.K. Sikri and Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw said the DNA report could be made public in the court, but no copies should be given to any of the parties in the case.

Tiwari, in mid-July, filed an application before the single judge for keeping the DNA report confidential and also requested for in-camera proceedings in the suit, which was dismissed. Later, the division bench was approached and said Friday that the report should be opened.

The Hyderabad-based Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics had recently submitted in court the DNA reports of Tiwari, Rohit and his mother Ujjwala Sharma.

Tiwari had May 29 furnished his blood sample for the DNA test at his residence in Dehradun following orders of the Supreme Court and the Delhi High Court. The high court April 27 directed Tiwari to undergo the DNA test and also imposed a fine of Rs.25,000 on him.