Uttarakhand couple refuse newborn girl; DNA test calls their bluff

Dehradun, April 19

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.

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 and asked Aarti Shah to start feeding the girl till the DNA reports came in.

Negi had batted for the DNA procedure after Shah from Dehradun disowned the baby girl assuming she had given birth to a boy on March 5.

For days she did not breastfeed her child at the government Doon hospital where the baby was born.

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

Incidentally, a boy was born on the same day to another Aarti leading to the confusion.

Aarti Shah, who was handed the baby girl, and 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 the DNA tests.

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

The DNA reports that reached the hospital on Thursday proved the biological links.

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

“The baby girl is already with her biological parents,” Negi said, adding, “Moral of the story, all’s well that ends well.” IANS