Vikram Bhatt And Wife Arrested In Rs 30 Crore Fraud Case Linked To Udaipur Doctor

Filmmaker Vikram Bhatt and his wife, Shwetambari Bhatt, were arrested by Udaipur Police on Sunday in connection with a Rs 30-crore cheating case filed in Rajasthan. According to officials, the couple-along with six others-allegedly defrauded Udaipur-based Dr Ajay Murdia, founder of the Indira Group of Companies. Two other suspects had already been arrested earlier.

A police team from Udaipur travelled to Mumbai and took the couple into custody as part of the ongoing investigation. Dr Murdia, who owns the Indira IVF Hospital network, had approached the Bhopalpura police station claiming he was deceived after being promised massive profits from film projects, including a biopic based on his late wife. He had reportedly been assured that the film alone would generate earnings worth Rs 200 crore, but no such outcome followed.

Agreement Signed

Officials said that an agreement was drafted in May 2024 for the production of four films, including the biopic, valued at around Rs 47 crore. While two projects were said to have been completed, the remaining films never progressed. During the inquiry, police found that fake vendor bills and inflated salary vouchers were allegedly created to siphon off funds, resulting in a loss of nearly Rs 30 crore to Dr Murdia.

The investigation suggests that the complainant was introduced to the accused through an acquaintance who pitched the idea of producing the biopic. From there, police believe a detailed plan was executed to mislead him and divert his money using forged documents and exaggerated expenses.

Later in the day, Udaipur Police secured a transit remand for Vikram and Shwetambari Bhatt until December 9, allowing them to transport the couple to Rajasthan for further questioning.

Meanwhile, the couple's lawyers, Rakesh Singh and Sanjay Singh, accused the Rajasthan Police of acting without due procedure. They alleged that the grounds of arrest were not clearly conveyed and claimed the couple had been pressured to sign an undated document, allegedly under threat of mistreatment if they refused.

After hearing arguments from both sides, the court approved the two-day transit remand, clearing the way for the next stage of the investigation.

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