For many people, raising their child is one of the greatest joys in life. Every decision is made considering how it affects their children to ensure maximum benefit and minimum issues for their offspring. Parenthood is a personal decision, with some choosing to have their children early and others choosing to wait until later in life.

However, aside from Ramjit Raghav, the alleged oldest man to father a child, it’s unlikely that anyone else in the world would have waited 94 years! But what led Ramjit to wait so long to have a child, and what’s his story? Let’s understand how this Indian man earned his title.

Ramjit Raghav’s virility came from his diet and lifestyle.

Ramjit, the alleged oldest man to father a child, welcomed his first child into the world in 2010 at the ripe old age of 94 years! While he married at the age of 24, he was widowed for 25 years before meeting his second wife, Shakuntala Dev.

At the ages of 94 and 50, Ramjit and Shakuntala welcomed their first son, Vikramjeet, into the world in 2010. With this, Ramjit has been labeled as the world’s oldest man to become a father.

Ramjit set the record as the oldest father with his first child and broke that record with the birth of his second!

In 2012, just two years after the birth of his first son, Ramjit welcomed Ranjeet, his second son, to the world. At the age of 96, Ramjit broke his previous record by becoming the oldest man to father a child. With the birth of his second son, Ramjit stated the pair would not be trying for another child due to financial concerns.

Ramjit, a former wrestler from Haryana state of India, stated that the secret to his virility and stamina was his vegetarian diet consisting of grains and vegetables and abstinence from alcohol. His claims resulted in PETA selecting him as part of one of their ad campaigns to promote a vegetarian diet with the slogan “Vegetarians Still Got It at Age 96.”

Shakuntala Devi was scheduled to undergo a tubectomy operation to ensure she did not get pregnant again. Raghav had high hopes for his sons and wished for them to attain a respectful life. It appeared to be smooth sailing for Ramjit, but dark clouds were on the horizon.

In May of 2013, Shakuntala Devi was taking Vikramjeet to the local hospital for a check-up. She fell asleep at the bus stop on the way back home, and when she awoke, she could not find her child anywhere. The stress of the disappearance started to manifest in their relationship, leading Shakuntala Devi to leave Ramjit, taking their second child along with her six months after the incident.

People in Ramjit’s village are skeptical of the oldest man to father a child.

Unfortunately, Ramjit Raghav passed away in a fire accident at his home in 2020 at the age of 104. However, many, including people of his own village, argue that Ramjit was not as old as he claimed to be. Some even questioned his virility and whether the children were indeed his. Ramjit had claimed he was over 100 years old in 2010, but the government department from which he received his pension stated he was 94 in 2010.

Dr. Paramjeet Singh, Chief Medical Officer at Kharkhoda Civil Hospital, where Vikramjeet was born, stated that while it is rare, it is not impossible for men at that age to father a child. With Shakuntala Devi being in her 50s for both of her pregnancies, the chances were incredibly slim. There is also the risk of birth-related issues due to age.