Dhanush parentage case: Madras HC stays proceedings, couple press for DNA test

The Madras high court on Thursday stayed the proceedings on a paternity claim over actor Dhanush made by an elderly couple in a magistrate court as it posted their plea for a DNA test for hearing on March 9.

Justice G Chockalingam ordered the stay, valid till further orders, during the hearing of a petition by the actor seeking to quash the proceedings pending in the judicial magistrate court in nearby Melur.

The judge was allowing the plea of Dhanush, son-in-law of superstar Rajinikanth, for a stay on the proceedings.

On the plea for DNA test, the judge wondered why the couple’s advocate did not file the miscellaneous petition for the test for such a long time since moving the Melur court.

In his petition, Kathiresan, who has claimed himself to be the father of Dhanush, contended that it was necessary to hold the DNA test to know the truth about his parentage.

“We are ready to undergo the DNA test. And the same should be ordered for Dhanush also,” he said.

Earlier, the Dean of Government Rajaji Hospital submitted in the court a report on verification of personal identification marks of Dhanush conducted by a team headed by him, complying with its February 28 order.

Hospital Dean Dr Vairamuthu Raju along with his team had on March 1 verified the identification marks for about half an hour in the presence of the judicial registrar of the high court.

On February 28, the actor had appeared before the judge along with his mother Vijayalakshmi and father Kasthuri Raja, a film director.

Justice Chockalingam had then ordered the verification after Kathiresan and his wife Meenakshi submitted a set of school documents mentioning the birth marks of their ‘son’.

Opposing the actor’s petition, the couple also claimed that the documents filed by his parents such as birth and transfer certificates and ID marks were fake and fabricated.

The couple has claimed in the Melur court that Dhanush was their third son and also sought a monthly maintenance of Rs 65,000 as they were in a very poor financial position.

They have submitted that Dhanush was a school boy when he ran away to Chennai to get into the film world. They could not trace him then and recognised him while watching movies. Their efforts to meet him in Chennai did not succeed, they said.

However, the actor has denied the submissions saying their entire statements were false.