Tiwari seeks confidentiality court proceedings, SC says no

Appearing before a vacation bench of justices G S Singhvi and S J Mukhopadhaya, Tiwari's counsel submitted that Rohit Shekhar, who has filed a paternity suit against him was not maintaining confidentiality about the court proceedings and has been briefing media after each hearings.

The bench, however, was not satisfied with his contention and said that it cannot restrain any one from interacting with media.

"There is no injunction not to talk to media. Confidentiality is of the the report (pertaining to DNA test) but not of the court proceedings," the bench said.

Earlier the apex court had on May 24 directed the 88-year-old leader to give his blood sample on the paternity suit saying court's order cannot be flouted due to the "stature" of the person.

The court had rejected Tiwari's plea that he was too old to give his blood sample. "It does not mean that blood is not running in his body," the bench had said.

Tiwari was directed to make himself available on May 29 at his home in Dehradun for giving blood sample.

The paternity suit was filed by 32-year-old Shekhar in 2008 in Delhi High Court seeking its direction to declare the Congress leader as his biological father.