DNA report nails Tiwari
Rohit Shekhar declared son of Cong leader
The Delhi High Court on Friday declared that senior Congress leader N D Tiwari is the biological father of Rohit Shekhar, 32.
The ruling came as a huge relief for Shekhar, who has been waging the legal battle for the past five years.
A division bench dismissed Tiwari’s plea that the DNA report be kept secret.
“As per the DNA report, Tiwari is reported to be the biological father of Rohit Shekhar and Ujjwala Sharma is reported to be the biological mother,” Justice Reva Khetrapal said, while declaring the result of the test conducted at the Hyderabad-based laboratory.
“Tiwari’s legal troubles will mount now. He will have to pay for all the hurt he has caused my mother for so many years,” Rohit, a law graduate, said, while coming out of the courtroom, with mother Ujjwala in tow.
During the day, the Division Bench agreed with the previous order of Justice Khetrapal that the report cannot be kept confidential as the apex court did not order so.
“The purpose was to cut short the controversy and to avoid an unnecessarily prolonged trial. If the sample is not opened now, it may lead to unnecessary cross-examination of the witnesses. We do not find merit in the petition, so it is dismissed,” the Bench said.
Tiwari pleaded with the court to protect his “right to reputation,” contending that the single-judge bench had adopted a “shortcut” to decide the suit and it would cause “grave injustice” to him.
As the matter came before the single judge, none of Tiwari’s lawyers appeared. Justice Khetrapal told the advocates for Rohit and Ujjwala to come in the chamber for desealing of the report. Minutes later, the result was declared in the open courtroom, bringing the curtains on the long legal battle.
In Dehra Dun, Tiwari refused to come before the media but circulated a press statement saying he has no grudge against Rohit and that there was a “conspiracy” to malign him.”
