Vikram Bhatt arrest explained: What is the ₹30 crore fraud case against filmmaker, why was he denied medical bail

Filmmaker Vikram Bhatt and wife are in judicial custody after allegations of a ₹30 crore fraud by a Rajasthan-based businessman.

Filmmaker Vikram Bhatt and his wife, Shwetambari, were arrested last week in a fraud case, and sent to judicial custody. On Tuesday, a court denied their request for bail on medical grounds, sending them back to judicial custody. The filmmaker and his wife will now have to spend a few more days in custody, as the police prepare their chargesheet against them in an alleged ₹30 crore fraud case, filed by a producer of one of Vikram’s films.

Additional Senior Civil Judge and Additional Chief Magistrate, Udaipur Court, sent Director and filmmaker Vikram Bhatt and his wife Shwetambari Bhatt to 7 days' police custody in connection with the IVF fraud case, in Udaipur. (ANI Video Grab)(ANI Video Grab)

What is the fraud case against Vikram Bhatt

The case against Vikram, his wife, and six others, has been filed by businessman Dr Ajay Murdia. In his complaint to the Udaipur Police. Dr Murdia alleged that he first met Dinesh Kataria at an event, where Kataria proposed making a biopic on his wife. On April 24 in 2024, Kataria introduced him to Vikram Bhatt in Mumbai. This followed discussions about the biopic. The FIR says that Vikram and his wife allegedly promised that if Murdia financed an initial amount of ₹7 crore and provided further funding, they could produce four films for ₹47 crore, assuring him that these projects would yield profits of ₹100-200 crore.

However, Murdia claimed that after that, the accused siphoned off more than ₹30 crore by giving false assurances about the film. The police say that the accused used fake bills and documents to siphon off the funds.

Why was medical bail denied to Vikram Bhatt

After being arrested on December 7, Vikram and Shwetambari were sent to judicial custody by an Udaipur court. On Tuesday, the couple’s lawyer requested that interim bail be granted on medical grounds. However, the court sent them to judicial custody again. Udaipur DSP Suryaveer Singh told ANI, “The court has ordered to keep them in judicial custody. They will now be sent to the Central Jail in Udaipur.”