Filmmaker Vikram Bhatt and Wife Remanded in Custody Over Alleged ₹30 Crore Fraud

A court in Udaipur has ordered judicial custody for Bollywood director Vikram Bhatt and his wife Shwetambari in a case involving an alleged fraud of ₹30 crore. The decision, issued on Tuesday, followed the rejection of an interim bail application filed by their lawyer on medical grounds.

Earlier that day, the couple’s counsel submitted a plea seeking temporary release to allow for medical treatment. Advocate Manzoor Hussain informed ANI that the application requested interim bail specifically for health reasons, noting that approval could enable short-term release pending the court’s final order that session.

However, the court denied the request and directed that Bhatt and his wife be held in judicial custody. DSP Suryaveer Singh confirmed the ruling, stating that the pair would be transferred to Udaipur Central Jail.

The couple was arrested in Mumbai on December 7 and transported to Udaipur, where they appeared before the court on December 8. They were initially placed in police custody for seven days starting December 9.

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Bhatt, his wife, and six others face accusations of cheating Udaipur-based entrepreneur Dr Ajay Murdia, founder of the Indira Group of Companies. The complaint centers on a proposed biopic about Murdia’s late wife. According to police, Murdia, who owns Indira IVF Hospital, was promised profits exceeding ₹200 crore from the project.

An official explained to PTI that no film materialized despite the assurances, prompting Murdia to file a complaint at Bhopalpura police station in Udaipur. The FIR, registered on November 17, accuses the group of misappropriating over ₹30 crore through false promises related to production and earnings, including the use of fabricated bills.