Allahabad High Court: DNA Tests Not for Routine Parentage Disputes

The Allahabad High Court ruled that DNA tests to determine child paternity should not be a routine directive and require specific circumstances. It dismissed Ramraj Patel's plea questioning his child's paternity. The court emphasized proof of 'no chance of cohabitation' as a prerequisite for such tests.

The Allahabad High Court has ruled that DNA testing to ascertain the paternity of a child should not be ordered merely because a party disputes parentage during legal proceedings. Such directives require specific circumstances, the court said.

Justice Chawan Prakash made this observation while rejecting a petition filed by Ramraj Patel. Patel alleged that a female child born to his wife in December 2012 was not his biological daughter. He claimed that his wife had been residing at her parental home since May 2011.

The High Court upheld the decision of the Additional Sessions Judge, Varanasi, and the Special Chief Judicial Magistrate, who had denied the request for a DNA test. The court clarified that orders for DNA testing can only be issued when there is verifiable evidence of 'no chance for cohabitation' during the period in question.

(With inputs from agencies.)