Woman disowns kid to contest polls, nailed by DNA test

A woman disowned her own child to save her election as a panchayat member. But, a DNA test nailed her lie and she is now stands disqualified.

Last week a bench of Justice Kurien Joseph and Justice R Banumathi dismissed Anita Eknath Hatkar’s petition challenging disqualification proceedings initiated against her on the ground she had three children. Hatkar was elected as a member of Chichondi village panchayat, in Ahmednagar district, Maharashtra.

The complainant — Prahlad Ahvad — took a plea before the authority concerned that Anita was ineligible because she flouted the rules governing panchayat elections. She was a mother of three children, the third one having been born after the cut-off date fixed by the authorities.

The additional collector, Ahmednagar, dismissed the complaint. However, the Bombay High Court allowed an appeal against the additional collector’s order and declared Anita’s election void.

Aggrieved with the proceedings, Anita moved the top court. During a hearing on December 5, her counsel discarded the complaint. On her instructions he submitted that the child was not born to her.

But Ahvad’s lawyers – Sandeep S Deshmukh and NarHari Singh – insisted that a DNA test be done, which the woman agreed to undergo and the court ordered to be conducted in eight weeks. Until the report came, the top court stayed her disqualification.

A report from the Mumbai’s forensic laboratory placed before the court last week revealed that Anita had not spoken the truth. The third child was indeed that of Anita and her husband, prompting SC to dismiss her appeal.

BORN AFTER THE CUTOFF DATE FIXED BY THE AUTHORITIES, THE COMPLAINT SAID. DNA TESTS PROVED THE CHILD WAS HERS THE THIRD CHILD WAS