DNA report shouldn't influence paternity suit: N D Tiwari

NEW DELHI: Veteran politician N D Tiwari, who was proved by a DNA testing to be the biological father of a 32-year-old youth, today pleaded in the Supreme Court that the report should not influence the trial proceeding against him in the case.

A bench comprising justices Swatanter Kumar and S J Mukhopadhaya issued a notice to the Delhi-based youth Rohit Shekhar on a plea by Tiwari seeking clarification of the apex court's May 24 order by which the Congress leader was asked to undergo paternity test with some protection for maintaining confidentiality of the test.

Though the bench issued the notice, it told Tiwari's counsel Anirudh Sharma that the matter will be heard by another bench, headed by justice Aftab Alam, before which the appeal against the Delhi High Court order directing him to undergo the DNA test was pending.

During the pendency of the appeal, a vacation bench had on May 24 directed 87-year-old Tiwari to give his blood sample on a paternity suit by Rohit Shekhar claiming to be his biological son.

Tiwari then was forced to undergo the paternity test and the report of CDFT ( Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics) laboratory in Hyderabad concluded that he was the biological father of Rohit Shekhar.

The Delhi High Court had, in its April 27 order, ordered Tiwari to undergo the DNA test in the paternity suit and also imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 on the veteran leader.

The High Court had read out the report in the open court on July 27.