Trial commences in paternity suit against ND Tiwari

New Delhi, Jan 29: The trial in the paternity suit of Rohit Shekhar, seeking to declare veteran

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as his biological father, on Monday commenced before a commission here with the testimony of his mother who said that her former husband still assists her two sons including Rohit.

"...My son (Rohit) is writing journals etc but is not engaged in any other business. Rohit Shekhar is also partner with Siddharth, my elder son, in real estate business only. He was not involved in Hindustan Lever or Petro Chemicals distributorship. It is correct that impliedly both my sons are assisted by Mr (B P) Sharma," Ujjwala Sharma, 67, said during her cross examination by a lawyer of 88-year-old Tiwari.

The response came to a query of Bahar-U Barqi, the counsel for Tiwari, that her former husband, even after the divorce, has been helping Rohit.

She was recording her testimony before Bimla Makin, former Additional District Judge, who has been appointed by Delhi High Court as Local Commissioner to record evidence in the paternity suit, filed by Rohit in 2008.

In response to a query, Rohit's mother said, "I was finally divorced in 2006 by a decree of court of law. I filed the divorce petition in 2006 itself. As we were already living separately, I filed the divorce petition with mutual consent of my husband. Hence, no ground of divorce as such was mentioned in the divorce petition."

She further said her former husband and her elder son Siddharth live on the first floor of the house at Defence Colony, which was purchased by her in 1978.

Ujjwala said that she and her younger son Rohit, who wants Tiwari to be declared his father, live on the ground floor of the building.

The cross-examination of Ujjwala remained inconclusive and would resume tomorrow at the office of Delhi High Court Bar Association. Earlier, the court had ordered day-to-day hearing in the case after Tiwari refused to settle the case through mediation process.

In response to a suggestion that the DNA test result is a conclusive kind of evidence and the matter can be settled, the counsel for Tiwari said he would contest it as there was a possibility that the medical evidence may not be accurate.

The high court on July 27, last year had read out the DNA report that had declared Tiwari as Rohit's biological father.

Tiwari had given blood sample for the DNA test on May 29 in Dehradun following an apex court order in the case, after repeatedly contesting against undergoing the test.

PTI