World's oldest dad to become father again, at 96

A farmer in northern India has claimed to be the oldest person to father a child at the age of 96, a newspaper says.

Ramajit Raghav, a villager in the Sonipat region near New Delhi, broke his own record after his first child was born in November 2010 when he was 94, the Times of India reported.

Raghav's 52-year-old wife, Shakuntala Devi, gave birth October 5 to their second son, the report said.

Raghav had taken the title of the world's oldest dad from another Indian farmer, Nanu Ram Jogi, who fathered his 22nd child at 90 in 2007.

Raghav told local media outlets that he had remained a bachelor and practised celibacy throughout his life until he met his wife more than 12 years ago.

Raghav attributed his virility to being a wrestler in his youth when he had a high-calorie diet that comprised a half-kilogram of almonds, 3 litres of milk and a half-kilogram of clarified butter per day besides vegetables and bread.

The reports said he follows a strict vegetarian diet and has been a teetotaller throughout his life.