Madhya Pradesh HC overrules actor Nitish Bharadwaj's objection, orders renewal of minor daughters' passports

Jabalpur: The Madhya Pradesh High Court has asked the Regional Passport Office in Bhopal to renew the passports of two minor daughters of actor Nitish Bharadwaj.

The bench of Justice Vinay Saraf was hearing a petition filed by the minor daughters through the actor's estranged wife Smita Bharadwaj, who is an IAS officer.

On November 8 last year, the Regional Passport Office in Bhopal asked the petitioners' mother to seek permission from court for renewal of passports of the minor children after their father had objected to it.

The children's counsel Naman Nagnath submitted in court that the two minors had been invited to participate in 'Bharat Mahotsav' set to take place in London between February 14 and 17 this year and the trip would include events in the House of Lords and Oxford University.

He also told court the passports of the two minor girls were expiring on January 16 and needed to be renewed immediately.

In his order of Wednesday, Justice Saraf said the Regional Passport Office Bhopal is directed to renew the passport of the petitioners.

"Nitish Bharadwaj will be at liberty to take appropriate steps before the Family Court Mumbai in Bandra (in Mumbai) in respect of his apprehension that the documents filed with the present petition are not genuine," the bench observed.

Nitish Bharadwaj can approach the Family Court seeking prohibitory order to restrain the petitioners from travelling abroad and "if any such application is moved, the same shall be decided by the Family Court without influenced by this order in accordance with the law," the HC order further said.

"It is an admitted position that father of the children applied before Family Court, Mumbai for obtaining a decree of divorce against the mother of petitioners and the matter is still pending before the Family Court, Mumbai. The issue of custody of minor children is also pending," the HC order said.

Nitish Bharadwaj is best known for his portrayal of Lord Krishna in the hugely popular television serial Mahabharat produced and directed by BR Chopra.