IAS officer Smita Bharadwaj, wife of renowned TV serial Mahabharat actor Nitish Bharadwaj, has denied the harassment accusations made by her husband, labeling them as "false, malicious, and devoid of any facts".
Smita Bharadwaj, who currently holds the position of additional chief secretary for food, civil supplies, consumer affairs, sports, and youth affairs, as well as chairperson for the MP Warehousing and Logistic Corporation and the State Civil Supplies Corporation, addressed the matter in an interview with the Free Press Journal.
She disclosed, "Nitish wanted me to quit my job. When I did not agree, he asked for a divorce. And, when I got ready for divorce, he asked for money for consent divorce, which I denied. And then he started playing a victim card."
Moreover, Smita Bharadwaj shed light on the issue of visitation rights concerning their children. She asserted that Nitish Bharadwaj had always been granted unrestricted access to visitation but his actions consistently obstructed such access.
"On February 13, 2024, Nitish Bharadwaj purposely avoided meeting children. And a day later on Feb 14, he held a press conference, alleging I was not letting him to meet the children, without even considering the impact on the kids. On Saturday, 17th February, 2024, Nitish met his daughters at our residence in the presence of family friends as well as the police officer. The visit lasted for about 30 minutes, at the end of which the daughters were left in tears.," she explained.
Smita clarified that Nitish had met their daughters on February 17th, after a prior meeting on January 2, 2024. However, she expressed dismay over the emotional toll it took on their children. "The visit lasted for about 30 minutes, at the end of which the daughters were left in tears," she said.
Addressing the financial aspect, Smita Bharadwaj disclosed, "Since birth, the father has provided zero financial contribution towards the expense of bringing up children. Neither he has ever paid the school fees nor provided any maintenance amount to support them, despite the legal obligation."
She affirmed her commitment to protecting her daughters, stating, "My daughters are more than my life. And I will protect them till my last breath at any cost."
The matter remains unresolved and is currently before the courts.