Paternity suit: ND Tiwari ordered to undergo DNA tests

The Delhi High Court on Thursday directed senior Congress leader and former Andhra Pradesh Governor Nd Tiwari to undergo a paternity test to substantiate his denial that he was the biological father of 31-year-old Rohit Shekhar.

Disposing off a petition filed by Mr Tiwari’s counsel that the case was time-barred and rejected the former AP Governor’s plea that Shekhar should have filed the paternity suit when he turned 18, the Court said that it “cannot disregard the right of a child to know his or her biological father."

The Court directed the veteran Congress leader to undergo DNA test to prove that Rohit Shekhar’s claim that he was born out of a relationship between Mr Tiwari and his mother Ujjwala Singh. UJJwala Singh is also associated with the Congress.

The Court had admitted Shekhar's plea last April that Mr Tiwari be directed to reveal that he was indeed Rohit’s biological father.

The court also directed Mr Tiwari to appear personally before the joint registrar of High Court before February 8, 2011.

Earlier, the court had refused to exempt Mr Tiwari from personal appearance, saying that it was a family matter and not above the law.