ND Tiwari finally accepts Rohit Shekhar as his biological son

NEW DELHI: Former governor of Andhra Pradesh ND Tiwari is at an age (89 years) where he would be seriously thinking of his political legacy.

Having been chief minister of undivided Uttar Pradesh thrice and Uttarakhand once, he should have plenty of things for recall value, instead a decade long paternity suit and a sex scandal while governor of Andhra Pradesh were what would pop up on any search engine.

That’s probably the reason why Tiwari decided to settle the paternity suit filed against him by his love child, Rohit Shekhar, out of court. “He is my son, I respect Ujjwala Sharma (Shekhar’s mother and daughter of former minister Sher Singh),” said Tiwari at a conference embracing Shekhar.

Admittedly Tiwari had little choice but to concede paternity. Court ordered DNA tests had already confirmed that he was Shekhar’s father, and a hearing April would have decided the matter in favour of Shekhar.

“We heard from him that he was under great stress and would be in Delhi for some check ups at AIIMS. We met him there and he wept and said that he was going to acknowledge us,” said Sharma.

“Although I would have won the case, I am happy that this has happened, it is not just a question of my life and honor but also of my mother’s,” said Shekhar to ET. “I have been scarred for life, had a heart attack in 2007, and have barely managed to hold onto to hope,” said Shekhar.

Its been a mystery as to why the octogenarian leader who is a widower and has been childless would refuse to acknowledge paternity.

Some insist that it had to do with a fear that this would be a springboard of other such cases (Tiwari’s has been known for a rather colourful social life), and property worries were cited. Tiwari had met Sharma, whose father was the late minister Sher Singh, while she was still married, but estranged from her husband B P Sharma.

Rohit was conceived and born while she was still married to Sharma. For years the matter was hidden, till Shekhar, tired of being called the “bastard son” filed a suit in 2007-08.