Vikram Bhatt And Wife To Stay In Jail As Rajasthan HC Rejects Bail In Rs 30 Crore Fraud Case

Filmmaker Vikram Bhatt and his wife Shwetambari Bhatt will continue to remain behind bars after the Rajasthan High Court on Saturday refused to grant them bail in a Rs 30 crore cheating and criminal breach of trust case, dealing a significant setback to the couple as the investigation continues.

The High Court, while dismissing their bail pleas, observed that releasing the accused at this stage would not be appropriate. Justice Vinod Kumar Bharwani took note of the prosecution’s argument that custodial interrogation was still required and that granting bail could affect the course of the investigation.

The Special Public Prosecutor strongly opposed the bail applications, stating that the probe was ongoing and that the accused, including the Bhatts,

were needed for further questioning. The prosecution also expressed concern that the accused could influence witnesses if released at this juncture.

Vikram Bhatt and Shwetambari Bhatt were arrested by the Rajasthan Police on December 7 from Mumbai and subsequently brought to Udaipur. They have remained in judicial custody since then.

The case stems from a complaint filed by Ajay Murdia, founder of Indira IVF and Fertility Centre and a resident of Udaipur. In his complaint, Murdia accused Bhatt, his wife, and others of cheating and criminal breach of trust, alleging that funds amounting to ₹30 crore were misappropriated under the pretext of film production.

According to the complaint, the money was allegedly transferred based on fabricated bills prepared under multiple names. The funds, which were meant to be used for producing films for the complainant, were instead deposited into the personal accounts of the accused and allegedly diverted for their own use.

Along with the filmmaker and his wife, Udaipur-based Dinesh Kataria and Bhatt’s manager Mehboob Ansari were also arrested in connection with the case on December 7.

Bhatt’s legal team has consistently denied the allegations. His lawyer, Kamlesh Dave, earlier claimed that the police action was unwarranted. As quoted by ANI, he stated, “Every payment was made in the knowledge of both parties. There were no such fake or bogus bills. The agreement was done to make two films first and another two on rolling finance.”

The defence has also maintained that the action was initiated without sufficient documentary scrutiny, alleging that the police moved forward “based only on the FIR and not documents”.

Earlier, the High Court had also declined to quash the FIR filed against Bhatt, rejecting the argument that the matter was purely civil in nature. The court noted that the allegations extended beyond breach of contract and included serious claims of misappropriation of funds, warranting continued criminal investigation.