Today, On 13th February, The Supreme Court of India granted interim bail to filmmaker Vikram Bhatt and his wife Shwetambari Bhatt after arrest in a Rs.30 crore cheating case in Rajasthan. They allegedly misused production funds from the Indira Group of Companies.
The Supreme Court granted interim bail to filmmaker Vikram Bhatt and his wife, Shwetambari Bhatt, after their arrest in a Rs.30 crore cheating case in Rajasthan.
A bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi issued the order following the couple’s appeal against the Rajasthan High Court’s refusal to grant them bail.
The case centers around allegations that the Bhatts misappropriated funds intended for film production from the complainant, Dr. Ajay Murdia, who operates the Indira Group of Companies, including the fertility chain Indira IVF and an entertainment firm, Indira Entertainment LLP.
Reports indicate that the couple was arrested in December 2025 and placed in judicial custody. After the Jodhpur Bench of the Rajasthan High Court dismissed their bail application on January 31, they sought relief from the Supreme Court.
Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi represented the Bhatts, arguing,
“He cannot put the director, his wife, everybody in jail…What is going on?” The state’s counsel countered, emphasizing, “It’s not so simple. Rs.30 crore fraud!”
Justice Bagchi, however, questioned the appropriateness of using the criminal justice system as a means for financial recovery, stating,
“But you cannot use these cases to recover money.”
The Court requested the Rajasthan government’s response and granted the couple interim relief. The complainant has been added as a party to the case for his input.
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The next hearing is scheduled for February 19.
The Court ordered,
“Issue Notice. The petitioner (Vikram Bhatt) and (his wife) be released on interim bail forthwith, subject to furnishing bail bonds. List next Thursday. Owner of Indira Entertainment LLP (owned by Dr. Murdia) is ordered to be impleaded as a respondent.”
The FIR, filed on November 17 at the Bhupalpura police station in Udaipur, was registered by Ajay Murdia, owner of Indira IVF and linked to Indira Entertainment LLP. He alleged that he was persuaded to invest over Rs.30 crore in a proposed biopic about his late wife, as well as in four film projects with a total estimated budget of Rs.47 crore, which promised significant returns.
The complaint states that while over Rs.42 crore was transferred, only two films were produced and released.
It claims that the third project remains unfinished and the fourth has yet to start, with allegations suggesting that funds intended for production were misappropriated.
The high court acknowledged the prosecution’s argument that releasing the accused at this juncture could disrupt the investigation, which includes claims that witnesses faced intimidation.
Case Title: Shwetambari V Bhatt and anr v. State of Rajasthan
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