Paragraph numbers below are the court’s original numbering, recovered from the source text.
8. Yet another decision on which reliance has been placed is the decision of this Court in the case of Banarsi Dass v. Teeku Dutta, (2005) 4 SCC 449, paragraph 13, which is relevant for the purpose is quoted below: "13. We may remember that Section 112 of the Evidence Act was enacted at a time when the modern scientific advancements with deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) as well as ribonucleic acid (RNA) tests were not even in contemplation of the legislature. The result of a genuine DNA test is said to be scientifically accurate. But even that is not enough to escape from the conclusiveness of Section 112 of the Evidence Act e.g. if a husband and wife were living together during the time of conception but the DNA test revealed that the child was not born to the husband, the conclusiveness in law would remain irrebuttable. This may look hard from the point of view of the husband who would be compelled to bear the fatherhood of a child of which he may be innocent. But even in such a case the law leans in favour of the innocent child from being bastardised if his mother and her spouse were living together during the time of conception. Hence the question regarding the degree of proof of non-access for rebutting the conclusiveness must be answered in the light of what is meant by access or non-access as delineated above. (See Kamti Devi v. Poshi Ram, 2001 (5) SCC 311.)"
9. Reliance has also been placed on a decision of this Court in the case of Bhabani Prasad Jena v. Orissa State Commission for Women, (2010) 8 SCC 633, in which it has G been held as follows: "22. In our view, when there is apparent conflict between the right to privacy of a person not to submit himself forcibly to medical examination and duty of the court to reach the truth, the court must exercise its discretion only after balan·cing the interests of the parties and on due NANDLAL WASUDEO BADWAIK v. LATA NANDLAL 129 BADWAIK [CHANDRAMAULI KR.PRASAD, J.] consideration whether for a just decision in the matter, DNA test is eminently needed. DNA test in a matter relating to paternity of a child should not be directed by the court as a matter of course or in a routine manner, whenever such a request is made. The court has to consider diverse aspects including presumption under Section 112 of the Evidence Act; pros and cons of such order and the test of "eminent need" whether it is not possible for the court to reach the truth without use of such test."
10. Miss Anagha s~ Desai appearing on behalf of the appellant submits that this Court twice ordered for DNA test and, hence, the question as to whether this was a fit case in which DNA profiling should or should not have been ordered is academic. We find substance in the submission of Ms. Desai. Fact of the matter is that this Court not only once, but twice gave directions for DNA test. The respondents, in fact, had not opposed the prayer of DNA test when such a prayer was being considered. It is only after the reports of the DNA test had been received, which was adverse to the respondents, that they are challenging it on the ground that such a test ought not to have been directed. We cannot go into the validity of the orders passed by a coordinate Bench of this Court at this stage. It has attained finality. Hence, we do not find any merit in the submission of the learned counsel for the respondents. As regards the decision of this Court in the cases of Goutam Kundu (supra), Banarsi Dass (supra) and Bhabani Prasad Jena (supra), the same have no bearing in the facts and circumstances of the case. In all these cases, the court was considering as to whether facts of those cases justify passing of an order for DNA test. When the order for DNA test has already been passed, at this stage, we are not concerned with this issue and we have to proceed on an assumption that a valid direction for DNA test was given.
11. Ms. Desai submits that in view of the opinions, based on DNA profiling that appellant is not the biological father, he H_ A cannot be fastened with the liability to pay maintenance to the girl-child born to the wife. Mr. Pitale, however, submits that the marriage between the parties has not been dissolved, and the birth of the child having taken place during the subsistence of a valid marriage and the husband having access to the wife, B conclusively prove that the girl-child is the legitimate daughter of the appellant. According to him, the DNA test cannot rebut the conclusive presumption envisaged under Section 112 of the Evidence Act. According to him, respondent no. 2, therefore, has to be held to be the appellant's legitimate daughter. In c support of the submission, reliance has been placed on a decision of this Court in the case of Kamti Devi v. Poshi Ram, (2001) 5 sec 311, and reference has been made to paragraph 10 of the judgment, which reads as follows: "10 ………. The result of a genuine DNA test is said to be scientifically accurate. But even that is not enough to escape from the conclusiveness of Section 112 of the Act e.g. if a husband and wife were living together during the time of conception but the DNA test revealed that the child was not born to the husband, .the conclusiveness in law would remain irrebuttable. This may look hard from the point of view of the husband who would be compelled to bear the fatherhood of a child of which he may be innocent. But even in such a case the law leans in favour of the innocent child from being bastardised if his mother and her spouse were living together during the time of conception ………. "
12. Before we proceed to consider the rival submissions, we deem it necessary to understand what exactly DNA test is G and ultimately its accuracy. All living beings are composed of cells which are the smallest and basic unit of life. An average human body has trillion of cells of different sizes. DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid), which is found in the chromosomes of the cells of living beings, is the blueprint of an individual. Human cells contain 46 chromosomes and those 46 NANDLAL WASUDEO BADWAIK v. LATA NANDLAL 131 BADWAIK [CHANDRAMAULI KR.PRASAD, J.] chromosomes contain a total of six billion base pair in 46 duplex threads of DNA. DNA consists of four nitrogenous bases – adenine, thymine, cytosine, guanine and phosphoric acid arranged in a regular structure. When two unrelated people possessing the same DNA pattern have been compared, the chances of complete similarity are 1 in 30 billion to 300 billion. Given that the Earth's population is about 5 billion, this test shall have accurate result. It has been recognized by this Court in the case of Kamti Devi (supra) that the result of a genuine DNA test is scientifically accurate. It is nobody's case that the result of the DNA test is not genuine and, therefore, we have to c proceed on an assumption that the result of the DNA test is accurate. The DNA test reports show that the appellant is not the biological father of the girl-child.
13. Now we have to consider as to whether the DNA test would be sufficient to hold that the appellant is not the biological father of respondent no. 2, in the face of what has been provided under Section 112 of the Evidence Act, which reads as follows: "112. Birth during marriage, conclusive proof of legitimacy.- The fact that any person was born during the continuance of a valid marriage between his mother and any man, or within two hundred and eighty days after its dissolution, the mother remaining unmarried, shall be conclusive proof that he is the legitimate son of that man, unless it can be shown that the parties to the marriage had no access to each other at any time when he could have been begotten."
14. From a plain reading of the aforesaid, it is evident that a child born during the cor.tinuance of a valid marriage shall be a conclusive proof that the child is a legitimate child of the man to whom the lady giving birth is married. The provision makes the legitimacy of the child to be a conclusive proof, if the conditions aforesaid are satisfied. It can be denied only if it is shown that the parties to the marriage have no access to A each other at any time when the child could have been begotten. Here, in the present case, the wife had pleaded that the husband had access to her and, in fact, the child was born in the said wedlock, but the husband had specifically pleaded that after hi,s wife left the matrimonial home, she did not return and B thereafter, he had no access to her. The wife has admitted that she had left the matrimonial home but again joined her husband. Unfortl.lnately, none of the courts below have given any finding with regard to this plea of the husband that he had or had not any access to his wife at the time when the child could have c been begotten.
15. As stated earlier, the DNA test is an accurate test and on that basis it is clear that the appellant is not the biological father of the girl-child. However, at the same time, the condition precedent for invocation of Section 112 of the Evidence Act D has been established and no finding with regard to the plea of the husband that he had no access to his wife at the time when the chi.Id could have been begotten has been recorded. Admittedly, the child has been born during the continuance of a valid marriage. Therefore, the provisions of Section 112 of E the Evidence Act conclusively prove that respondent No. 2 is the daughter of the appellant. At the same time, the DNA test reports, based on scientific analysis, in no uncertain terms suggest that the appellant is not the biological father. In such circumstance, which would give way to the other is a complex F question posed before us.
16. We may remember that Section 112 of the Evidence Act was enacted at a time when the modern scientific advancement and DNA test were not even in contemplation of G ·the Legislature. The result of DNA test is said to be scientifically accurate. Although Section 112 raises a presumption of conclusive proof on satisfaction of the conditions enumerated therein but the same is rebuttable. The presumption may afford legitimate means of arriving at an affirmative legal conclusion. While the truth or fact is known, in our opinion, there is no need NANDLAL WASUDEO BADWAIK v. LATA NANDLAL 133 BADWAIK [CHANDRAMAULI KR.PRASAD, J.] or room for any presumption. Where there is evidence to the contrary, the presumption is rebuttable and must yield to proof. Interest of justice is best served by ascertaining the truth and the court should be furnished with the best available science and may not be left to bank upon presumptions, unless science has no answer to the facts in issue. In our opinion, when there is a conflict between a conclusive proof envisaged under law and a proof based on scientific advancement accepted by the world community to be correct, the latter must prevail over the former.
17. We must understand the distinction between a legal c fiction and the presumption of a fact. Legal fiction assumes existence of a fact which may not really exist. However presumption of a fact depends on satisfaction of certain Circumstances. Those circumstances logically would lead to the fact sought to be presumed. Section 112 of the Evidence Act does not create a legal fiction but provides for presumption.
18. The husband's plea that he had no access to the wife when the child was begotten stands proved by the DNA test report and in the face of it, we cannot compel the appellant to bear the fatherhood of a child, when the scientific reports prove to the contrary. We are conscious that an innocent child may not be bastardized as the marriage between her mother and father was subsisting at the time of her birth, but in view of the DNA test reports and what we have observed above, we cannot forestall the consequence. It is denying the truth. "Truth must triumph" is the hallmark of justice.
19. As regards the authority of this Court i·n the case of Kamti Devi (Supra), this Court on appreciation of evidence came to the conclusion that the husband had no opportunity whatsoever to have liaison with the wife. There was no DNA test held in the case. In the said background i.e. non-access of the husband with the wife, this Court held that the result of DNA test "is not enough to escape from the conclusiveness of Section 112 of the Act". The judgment has to be understood in [2014) 1 S.C.R. A the factual scenario of the said case. The said judgment has not held that DNA test is to be ignored. In fact, this Court has taken note of the fact that DNA test is scientifically accurate. We hasten to add that in none of the cases referred to above, this Court was confronted with a situation in which DNA test B report, in fact, was available and was in conflict with the presumption of conclusive proof of legitimacy of the child under Section 112 of the Evidence Act. In view of what we have observed above, these judgments in no way advance the case of the respondents. c
20. In the result, we allow this appeal, set aside the impugned judgment so far as it directs payment of maintenance to respondent no. 2. However, we direct that the payments already made shall not be recovered from the respondents. R.P. Appeal allowed.