NEW DELHI, March 7: The David Blunkett scandal that rocked Britain a few months ago, has taken a fresh twist with two newspapers naming an Indian editor as the father of the second child of Kimberley Quinn , the former home secretary's ex-lover and publisher of the Spectator magazine, The Indian Express said on Monday.

"Outraged over what he termed 'malicious' reports in two British papers that he had fathered Quinn's child, M.J. Akbar, editor of The Asian Age newspaper, has slapped legal notices on them," the Express said.

"Legal notices have been issued to all these papers. We are taking substantive action against anyone who has named me and who has indulged in the malicious, defamatory and false accusation," Mr Akbar told PTI.

Mr Akbar's lawyer in London, Bhadresh Gohil, said notices had been sent to the Mail On Sunday, Sunday Mail, The Sunday Telegraph and The Sunday Times, asking them to refrain from publishing or printing Mr Akbar's name.

While The Sunday Times and The Sunday Telegraph complied with the notice, the other two publications did not, Mr Gohil said. "Now, we will be issuing proceedings against the two papers for substantial damages, apology and retraction," he said.

Mr Blunkett resigned as home secretary in December after it emerged that he fast-tracked a visa application for Kimberley Quinn's nanny. He has been proven by a DNA test to be the father of Ms Quinn's first child.