Allegations by ‘Mahabharat’ actor Nitish Bharadwaj false, says his estranged IAS officer wife

Bhopal: Actor Nitish Bharadwaj’s estranged IAS officer wife on Monday said the allegations made by him that she had ‘abducted’ their daughters are ‘false and malicious’.

Smita Bharadwaj, currently posted in Bhopal as Additional Chief Secretary, and the television actor, who famously essayed the role of Lord Krishna in B R Chopra’s teleseries Mahabharat, are locked in a marital dispute. The case is pending in a family court.

The actor had submitted a complaint to the Bhopal police commissioner on Wednesday alleging that his estranged wife had ‘abducted’ his two daughters and is not letting him meet them.

Smita Bharadwaj on Monday issued a statement refuting the ‘false and malicious’ allegations, which she claimed were aimed at maligning her reputation and also defamatory.

“The assertion made in the police complaint on February 11 by Nitish Bharadwaj and during a press conference organised in Bhopal on February 14 are categorically and unequivocally refuted as entirely baseless and devoid of any factual substantiation. His claims that I have abducted our minor twin daughters and have denied him access are entirely baseless,” she stated.

In a complaint submitted to Bhopal police commissioner Harinarayaran Chari Mishra, the actor had claimed that his wife had ‘abducted’ his daughters and he was not aware of their whereabouts. He also alleged ‘mental torture’.

Nitish Bharadwaj had demanded registration of a case of kidnapping against his estranged wife and said their case (of marital dispute) was pending in a family court.

A police official had said that a probe was initiated on Nitish Bharadwaj’s complaint.

Smita Bharadwaj claimed Nitish Bharadwaj met the children on February 17 and in Pune on January 2.

She stated that Nitish Bharadwaj has maintained regular communication with the daughters since 2022 via the home phone at her residence, a fact documented in the family court files.

“In fact, Nitish Bharadwaj himself has claimed before the family court that he has communicated with my daughters on the same landline number. His assertion of being unaware of the phone number is false and misleading,” she stated.

She also claimed that Nitish Bharadwaj had been communicating on a dedicated email address pertaining to court proceedings and matters concerning the children.

The senior IAS officer stated that she has been the primary caregiver for their daughters despite facing financial challenges as a single mother but Nitish Bharadwaj’s ‘lack of care and involvement has caused the girls distress and disappointment’.

She claimed her husband never contributed financially towards the expense of bringing up the children, neither towards school fees nor towards any activity that supports their development.

“On February 13, Nitish Bharadwaj purposely avoided meeting children for a meeting fixed by the commissioner of police; for the reasons best known to him and gave preference to hold a press conference on February 14,” Smita Bharadwaj stated.

She said Nitish Bharadwaj met his daughters at our residence in the presence of family friends as well as the police officer on February 17.

“The visit lasted for about 30 minutes, at the end of which the daughters were left in tears. The visit has left them traumatised, and they have been crying inconsolably. The daughters have informed Nitish Bharadwaj that in the future, he should completely cease making statements to the press/media about them as it is causing them immense mental trauma and anguish. No child likes to see disputes between the parents being discussed in public forums,” she added.