Filmmaker Vikram Bhatt and his wife, Shwetambari, have been sent to seven-day police custody by the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM)-4 court in Udaipur in connection with a major ₹30 crore fraud case.
The couple was arrested by a special police team from Mumbai, where they were reportedly found at Ganga Bhavan Apartments in the Yari Road area. They were transported to Udaipur after securing transit remand from the Bandra court.
Details of the Fraud Case
The case stems from a complaint filed by Dr. Ajay Murdia, director of the Indira Group of Companies, which led to an FIR being registered against eight individuals on November 17.
- The Proposition: Murdia alleged he met film producer Dinesh Katariya, who proposed making a biopic on Murdia’s wife, highlighting her contribution to the nation.
- The Deal: Murdia met Vikram Bhatt in Mumbai in April 2024, where Bhatt agreed to handle the filmmaking process with Murdia providing the financing. A ₹40 crore contract was allegedly signed for two films, titled Biopic and Maharana.
- The Payment: Between May 2024 and June 2025, Murdia transferred approximately ₹30 crore to Bhatt and associated vendors.
- The Complaint: Murdia lodged a complaint on November 8 after communication abruptly stopped and repeated emails went unanswered, raising suspicions of fraud.
Lawyer Claims Misunderstanding
Bhatt’s lawyer, Advocate Jai Krishna Dave, termed the situation a “misunderstanding,” claiming they are ready to cooperate.
“It appears to be an accounts-mismatch issue and seems to have occurred due to miscommunication by a third party. Once documents are verified, the misunderstanding will be cleared,” the lawyer stated.
The police custody request was granted to allow the investigating officer, DSP Chhagan Rajpurohit, to examine documents, bank statements, financial trails, and conduct further technical analysis and interrogation.