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TIWARI paternity row
Rohit, Ujjawala give blood samples
Legal Correspondent

New Delhi, May 26
Rohit Shekhar, who claims to be the biological son of former Uttarakhand Chief Minister ND Tiwari, and his mother, Ujjawala Sharma, today gave their blood samples at the Delhi High Court in connection with the paternity row.

The HC had also directed Tiwari to give his sample today for a DNA test but the 86-year-old veteran Congress leader approached the Supreme Court pleading that he was not in a position to travel from Dehradun to Delhi for the purpose. Accepting his plea, the SC has allowed the collection of his blood sample from his residence at Dehradun on May 29.

Tiwari has denied the claim that Rohit was born out of a relationship he had with Ujjawala, but has been refusing to give his DNA sample pleading that forcing him to give his blood amounted to infringing on his privacy and personal liberty guaranteed under the Constitution.

Rejecting his contentions, both the HC and the SC have told him that he could in no way avoid or delay the DNA test in view of his age. However, the SC has allowed the test result to be kept in a sealed cover till the verdict on Tiwari’s contention that Ujjawala should first prove she had no access to her estranged husband at the time of conceiving Rohit, who is now 32.