Vikram Bhatt and Wife to Remain in Jail After Rajasthan High Court Rejects Bail

Filmmaker Vikram Bhatt and wife Shwetambari Bhatt to remain in jail as Rajasthan HC denies bail in ₹30 crore fraud case

Filmmaker Vikram Bhatt and his wife Shwetambari Bhatt will continue to stay in custody after the Rajasthan High Court on Saturday refused to grant them bail in a ₹30 crore cheating and criminal breach of trust case, marking a major setback for the couple as the investigation progresses.

Court Observations

The High Court noted that releasing the Bhatts at this stage would be inappropriate. Justice Vinod Kumar Bharwani considered 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 opposed the bail plea, citing the ongoing probe and raising concerns that the accused could influence witnesses if released.

Background of the Case

The case stems from a complaint filed by Ajay Murdia, founder of Indira IVF and Fertility Centre in Udaipur. Murdia alleged that Bhatt, his wife, and others misappropriated ₹30 crore under the pretext of film production. According to the complaint, the funds were transferred based on fabricated bills and diverted to the accused’s personal accounts instead of being used for films.

Alongside the Bhatts, Dinesh Kataria and Bhatt’s manager Mehboob Ansari were also arrested by the Rajasthan Police on December 7 from Mumbai and brought to Udaipur.

Defence Claims

Bhatt’s legal team has denied the allegations. Lawyer Kamlesh Dave told ANI that “Every payment was made with the knowledge of both parties. There were no fake bills. The agreement was to make two films initially and another two on rolling finance.” The defence also claimed that the police acted without proper documentary scrutiny, relying solely on the FIR.

Earlier, the High Court had refused to quash the FIR, rejecting the claim that the dispute was purely civil. The court noted that the allegations involved serious misappropriation of funds, warranting ongoing criminal investigation.