Filmmaker Vikram Bhatt and Wife Arrested in ₹30 Crore Fraud Case
Arrest of Vikram Bhatt and His Wife
On Sunday, police in Udaipur apprehended filmmaker Vikram Bhatt and his spouse, Shwetambari, in connection with a ₹30 crore fraud case registered in Rajasthan. An official confirmed the arrests.
The allegations against Vikram, Shwetambari, and six others involve defrauding Dr. Ajay Murdia, the founder of the Indira Group of Companies and a resident of Udaipur. Previously, two individuals had already been taken into custody in this case.
According to the official, a team from Udaipur police arrested the couple on Sunday. The official stated, 'Dr. Murdia, the owner of Indira IVF Hospital, intended to create a biopic about his late wife.'
Dr. Murdia claims he was promised earnings of ₹200 crore, but no work was ever initiated. Following this, he approached the Bhopalpura police station in Udaipur, where a First Information Report (FIR) was filed under fraud and other charges.
Later that evening, Udaipur police secured a transit remand for Vikram and his wife until December 9. Their attorneys, Rakesh Singh and Sanjay Singh, argued that the Rajasthan police arrested them arbitrarily without proper authorization. They alleged that the couple was coerced into signing documents lacking dates and times.
Dr. Murdia accused Vikram of colluding with other defendants to deceive him with false promises of substantial profits from film production.
Initial investigations by the police revealed that Dr. Murdia was introduced to the accused by an acquaintance, who proposed making a film about his late wife's life.
The defense attorneys informed the court that the reasons for the arrests were not adequately explained to the accused. They claimed that the police forced them to sign documents without dates and times.
The defense further alleged that the police threatened them with harassment in Rajasthan if they did not comply with their demands regarding the documents. After hearing both sides, the court granted transit remand until December 9.