Bhopal,
Feb
19
(PTI)
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
Lord
Krishna-fame
actor,
are
locked
in
a
marital
dispute.
The
case
is
pending
in
a
family
court.
The
actor,
known
for
his
role
in
the
TV
serial
'Mahabharat',
had
submitted
a
complaint
to
the
Bhopal
police
commissioner
on
Wednesday
alleging
that
his
estranged
wife
had
"abducted"
his
two
daughters
and
not
let
him
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
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.