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Nitish Bharadwaj had accused his wife of kidnapping their twin daughters (File)
Bhopal:
Actor Nitish Bharadwaj’s ex-bureaucrat wife said allegations that she had kidnapped his daughters are “false and malicious”.
Smita Bharadwaj, currently posted in Bhopal as additional chief secretary, and the actor who played the famous Lord Krishna in Mahabharat, are caught in a marital dispute. The case is pending in family court.
Bharadwaj had filed a complaint with the Bhopal police commissioner on Wednesday alleging that his ex-wife had “kidnapped” his two daughters and was not allowing him to meet them.
Smita Bharadwaj on Monday issued a statement refuting the “false and malicious” allegations, which she claimed were aimed at maligning her image and are defamatory.
“The claims made in the police complaint on February 11 by Nitish Bharadwaj and during a press conference in Bhopal on February 14 are categorically and unequivocally refuted as being totally baseless and devoid of any factual basis.
“His claims that I have kidnapped our youngest twin daughters and denied him access are totally unfounded,” he said.
In a complaint lodged with Bhopal senior police officer Harinarayaran Chari Mishra, the actor claimed that his wife “kidnapped” his daughters and that he did not know where they were. He also alleged “mental torture.”
Nitish Bharadwaj demanded registration of a kidnapping case against his ex-wife and said their (marital dispute) case was pending in a family court.
A police official said an investigation has been launched into Mr Bharadwaj’s complaint.
Smita Bharadwaj claimed that her husband met their children in Pune on January 2 and February 17.
He has maintained regular communication with his daughters since 2022 through the home phone at his residence, a fact documented in family court files, he added.
“Nitish Bharadwaj himself claimed before the family court that he had contacted my daughters through the same landline number. His claim that he did not know the phone number is false and misleading,” he said.
He also claimed that Mr Bharadwaj had been communicating via a specific email address about court proceedings and matters relating to children.
The senior Indian Administrative Services (IAS) officer stated that she has been the primary caregiver for her daughters despite the financial challenges of being a single mother, but that Mr. Bharadwaj’s “lack of care and involvement caused distress and disappointment to the girls.
She stated that her husband never contributed financially to the expenses of raising the children, nor to their school expenses nor to any activity that supported their development.
“On February 13, Nitish Bharadwaj deliberately avoided meeting the children at a meeting fixed by the police commissioner for reasons best known to him and preferred to hold a press conference on February 14,” Smita Bharadwaj said.
He said Nitish Bharadwaj met his daughters at their residence in the presence of family friends and the police officer on February 17.
“The visit lasted about 30 minutes, at the end of which the daughters were left crying. The visit left them traumatized and crying uncontrollably.
“The daughters have informed Nitish Bharadwaj that in future he should stop making statements to the press and media about them as it is causing them immense mental trauma and distress. No child likes to see disputes between parents are discussed in public forums,” she added.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated channel.)