A father at 94: Indian farmer claims to be world's oldest dad... and he wants MORE children
By DAILY MAIL REPORTER
29th December 2010
An Indian farmer claims to have fathered a child at the age of 94.
Ramajit Raghav, of the village of Kharkhoda in Haryana, northern India, claims that he helped his wife Shakuntala, who is in her 50s, bear a son called Vikramjeet - his first child.
The couple said their child's birth, at the government-run Kharkhoda Civil Hospital, was ‘god's gift’ and Mr Raghav did not rule out siring more children, saying he'd like to try for more children next year.
Ramjit Raghav, 94, poses for a picture outside his house with his two-month-old baby Vikramjeet in Haryana, India
Raghav and wife Shankuntala Devi, 50-something, hope to have another baby
'It is great that I have become the world’s oldest dad,' he laughed.
'I am a strong follower of Lord Shiva. I wanted to have an offspring and prayed for him.
'This child is god’s gift to me.'
The proud father, who had been wrestler in his youth, attributes his incredible virility to his diet.
'My daily diet comprises of three litres of milk, half a kilo of almonds and half a kilo ghee (clarified butter),' he said.
'I had visited a quack in the village and he gave me some tablets but I didn’t take them and threw them away.'
When asked whether he was worried about his child’s future, Ramjit confidently claimed he would still be playing with his son in a decade.
'Nothing will happen to my child as I will die only if a black snake bites me and that is very far,' he said.
'Visit me after 10 years and you will find me in the same appearance.'
Doctors however have questioned the validity of the father’s claim.
Raghav feeds his son a bottle. The elderly father credits his own health to a high-calorie diet of fatty foods
Shankuntala Devi gave birth to the bouncing baby boy in a local hospital in the Kharkhoda village of Haryana, 70 kilometres north of Dehli
Dr Paramjeet Singh, chief Medical officer at the Kharkhoda civil hospital said: 'It was a normal delivery and the baby is quite healthy and fine.
'Having babies at such age is remote possibility but then it can’t be ruled out as it just needs one sperm to fertilise the egg.'
Shakuntala's age, alternately reported as 51, 52 and 54, makes for incredibly slim odds of ovulation and any viable eggs.
Villager, Karan Singh, 39, was surprised to hear one of the elders had become a father last month.
She said: 'At first I didn’t believe it but it is the god’s grace and most importantly Ramjit is quite healthy and hard-working.'
Ramjit claims to be more than 100 years old but according to the
old-age pension records he is 94.
But if true, Mr Raghav’s claims would make him the world’s oldest father, edging out another Indian, Nanu Ram Jogi, who fathered his 22nd child at the age of 90 in 2007.
Britain’s oldest father is much younger.
Raymond Calvert, 79, fathered a son with a woman 54 years his junior earlier this year.
He claims to be more than 100 years old, but according to the old-age pension records he is 94
.
