New Delhi, March 14
The Supreme Court today made it clear that former Uttarakhand Chief Minister ND Tiwari should undergo DNA test for verifying the paternity claim of 32-year-old Rohit Shekhar in view of his advanced age of 85.

“Why are you avoiding it? Can you give one good reason? It may be in your own interest to end all this,” a Bench comprising Justices Aftab Alam and RM Lodha told the Congress leader, represented in the court by senior advocate Ashok Desai.

The Bench was hearing Tiwari’s petition challenging a Delhi High Court order directing him to undergo the DNA test. “We are more concerned about the age (of Tiwari). God forbids, if something happened what is the remedy left” for Rohit, the Bench asked Desai.

The SC, however, said the result of the DNA test could be kept in a sealed cover until the HC decided on the merit relating to other points raised by Rohit’s paternity suit. The result “may become a waste paper” if the HC found no substance in the paternity claim, the Bench clarified.