Nitish Bharadwaj had accused his wife of kidnapping their twin daughters (File)
Actor Nitish Bharadwaj's estranged bureaucrat wife said the allegations that she had kidnapped their daughters are "false and malicious".
Smita Bharadwaj, currently posted in Bhopal as the Additional Chief Secretary, and the actor who famously played Lord Krishna in Mahabharat, are locked in a marital dispute. The case is pending in a family court.
Mr Bharadwaj had submitted a complaint to the Bhopal Police Commissioner on Wednesday alleging that his estranged wife had "abducted" his two daughters and was 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 image and are defamatory.
"The assertion 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 entirely baseless and devoid of any factual substantiation.
"His claims that I have kidnapped our minor twin daughters and have denied him access are entirely baseless," she stated.
In a complaint submitted to Bhopal top cop Harinarayaran Chari Mishra, the actor claimed that his wife "abducted" his daughters and he did not know where they were. He also alleged 'mental torture'.
Nitish Bharadwaj demanded the 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 said that a probe was initiated on Mr Bharadwaj's complaint.
Smita Bharadwaj claimed her husband met their children in Pune on January 2 and on February 17.
He has maintained regular communication with his daughters since 2022 via the home phone at her residence, a fact documented in the family court files, she added.
"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 Mr Bharadwaj had been communicating on a dedicated email address about court proceedings and matters concerning the children.
The senior Indian Administrative Services (IAS) officer stated that she has been the primary caregiver for their daughters despite the financial challenges of being a single mother but Mr Bharadwaj's "lack of care and involvement 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 the children for a meeting fixed by the commissioner of police for reasons best known to him and preferred to hold a press conference on February 14," Smita Bharadwaj said.
She said Nitish Bharadwaj met his daughters at her residence in the presence of family friends and 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.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)