Couple refuse newborn girl, DNA tests call their bluff

More than a month after a couple in Uttarakhand refused to accept a newborn girl as their own, insisting that a boy was born to them, DNA tests ended the suspense proving beyond doubt that the baby belongs to them only.

The baby was living with her biological parents only in the meantime, as Usha Negi, the chairperson of the Uttarakhand State Commission for Protection of Child Rights had intervened in the matter and asked Aarti Shah to start feeding the baby girl till the final outcome of the DNA tests.

In fact it was Negi who had batted for the DNA procedure, after Shah from Dehradun city disowned the baby girl assuming she had actually given birth to a boy on March 5.

For many days she did not breast feed her child at the government Doon hospital here where the baby was born.

Aarti Shah had claimed that she had actually given birth to a boy, who was exchanged by the girl by the hospital authorities.

Incidentally, a boy was also born on the same day there with mother's name Aarti which led to the confusion.

Aarti Shah who was handed the baby girl, along with her husband lodged a complaint in the hospital claiming that they should be given the custody of the boy.

The parents of the boy refused to accept their claim.

As both parents refused to accept the claims thrown up, Negi called for conducting of the DNA tests.

More than a fortnight after the birth of the children, the blood samples of all six were sent to a forensic laboratory.

The DNA reports that came to the hospital on Thursday, proved the biological links.

Negi on Friday said that doctors at the Doon hospital where the DNA tests were conducted had told her that the baby girl was the biological daughter of Aarti Shah only.

"The baby girl is with her biological parents only," Negi said. She quipped: "Moral of the story, all's well that ends well."

--IANS

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