Filmmaker Vikram Bhatt and his wife Shwetambari will remain in jail after the Rajasthan High Court rejected their bail pleas in an alleged ₹30 crore film funding cheating case. The court cited the seriousness of the allegations.
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This weekend, filmmaker Vikram Bhatt, known for his thrillers and horror hits, found himself at the centre of a story far scarier than any script he has written. And this one doesn’t have a comforting interval break.
On Saturday, the Rajasthan High Court refused bail to Vikram Bhatt and his wife Shwetambari Bhatt, keeping the couple behind bars in a high-profile cheating case. The decision has sent ripples through film circles, where whispers have been growing louder since their arrest last month.
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Justice Vinod Kumar Bharwani while rejecting the bail applications made it clear that this was not the right time to let the accused walk free. The court observed that granting bail at this stage would be inappropriate because of the seriousness of allegations and the ongoing investigation.
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In short: no relief, no release.
The couple has been in judicial custody since December 7, after Rajasthan Police arrested them in Mumbai and took to Udaipur.
The Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) strongly opposed the bail plea. According to the prosecution, the investigation is still underway and the accused may undergo further questioning.
There was another concern too, one that often decides bail cases. The SPP argued that if released, the Bhatts could influence witnesses which could affect the investigation.
The court agreed that these concerns could not be ignored at this stage.
The case dates back to a complaint filed by Ajay Murdia, founder of Indira IVF and Fertility Centre, and a resident of Udaipur.
According to the complaint, Vikram Bhatt, his wife, and others allegedly took money from Murdia in the name of producing films. The amount in question is massive: around ₹30 crore.
The complaint alleges cheating and criminal breach of trust, claiming that the money meant for film projects was misused.
The complaint paints a troubling picture. It claims that the accused created fake bills under different names and used them to transfer money from the complainant.
Instead of being spent on films, the funds were allegedly deposited into personal accounts and used for purposes other than what was promised.
Apart from Vikram and Shwetambari Bhatt, Dinesh Kataria from Udaipur and Bhatt’s manager Mehboob Ansari were also under arrest on December 7 in connection with the case.
Vikram Bhatt has denied all allegations. His lawyer, Kamlesh Dave, told ANI that the police action was based only on the FIR and not supported by documents.
According to the defence, every payment was in place with the consent of both parties. The lawyer also claimed that there were no fake bills and that an agreement existed to make two films initially, followed by two more on a rolling finance model.
Earlier Vikram Bhatt had approached the court to quash the FIR arguing that the dispute was civil in nature. However, the court rejected that plea too noting that the case involves misappropriation of funds which goes beyond a simple business disagreement.
For now, the investigation continues, and so does the suspense.
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