New Delhi:
ND Tiwari, former Congress leader, has been ordered by the Delhi High Court to provide a DNA sample in a paternity suit that has stretched over several years.
Mr Tiwari, who is 86-years-old, has refused to do that so far. The High Court has said the police can intervene if necessary to collect the DNA sample.
An aide close to Mr Tiwari says he will appeal against today's verdict in the Supreme Court.
Rohit Shekhar, who is in his 30s, claims to be Mr Tiwari's biological son. In earlier court hearings, he has produced dozens of photographs that show Mr Tiwari attending various family functions including Rohit's birthday celebrations.
Mr Tiwari has been fighting the paternity case vehemently, describing it as an attempt to malign him. He has argued that if Mr Shekhar wanted to prove a biological relationship, he should have filed his case when he turned 18. He has also argued that being forced to share a blood sample violates his right to privacy.
Mr Tiwari was forced to quit as Governor of Andhra Pradesh in December 2009 after local channels showed footage that purportedly showed him in a compromising position with three women.
Mr Tiwari was ordered first by the Delhi High Court in 2010 and then by the Supreme Court to share his blood sample. But in September last year, a judge at the Delhi High Court said that the politician "cannot be physically compelled or confined for submitting his blood sample for DNA profiling." Today's developments over-rule that decision.