The Delhi High Court on Friday ruled that veteran Congress leader N. D. Tiwari cannot be compelled to give blood sample for his DNA test to determine a city youth's paternity but said his persistent refusal can lead to the presumption that he is his father.
"Tiwari cannot be physically compelled or confined for submitting a blood sample for DNA profiling to implement its December 2010 judgement," conceded Justice Gita Mittal while deciding 85-year-old Tiwari's plea challenging the December 23, 2010, order of the high court which had asked him to give his blood sample for DNA test.
Referring to Tiwari's persistent refusal to give his blood sample as per the court direction, Justice Mittal said: "The refusal by Tiwari to submit blood sample is wilful, malafide, unreasonable and unjustified. Such refusal is taken on record."
Justice Mittal said: "The impact of this refusal by Tiwari while evaluating the evidence produced by parties, ... may be treated as corroborative evidence leading to the presumption that the result of DNA profiling of the defendant's blood sample would have supported the plaintiff's (Rohit Shekhar) claim (of being Tiwari's biological son)."
"The conscious and emphatic refusal clearly suggests that Tiwari does not wish to run the risk of providing the plaintiff with the evidence that would establish his case and is malafide. The refusal of the respondent (Tiwari) displays no good reason but bad faith," said Justice Mittal, disapproving of Tiwari's attitude.