New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday granted interim bail to Shwetambari Bhatt, wife of film producer Vikram Bhatt, in the multi-crore fraud case registered by Rajasthan Police.
A bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi passed the order on February 13 and listed the case for further hearing on February 19.
Both Vikram Bhatt and Shwetambari Bhatt have been booked in the case, which stems from an FIR lodged in November 2025 over alleged fraud related to a film project in Udaipur. The case was registered at Bhupalpura police station.
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According to Udaipur District Superintendent of Police Yogesh Goyal, the complaint has been lodged by Dr. Ajay Murdia of Udaipur. The complainant alleged that, in the memory of his late wife, he entered into an agreement with Vikram Bhatt’s company for the production of films and documentaries.
According to the FIR, the complainant paid a sum of money to Bhatt’s company and signed a contract for the production of four films. However, it was alleged that the production house failed to deliver the films as per the agreement.
Two films that were reportedly produced were not properly accounted for, while the highest-budget project under contract was never launched.
SP Yogesh Goyal had said that the investigation is ongoing and appropriate action will be taken based on the findings.
Responding to the allegations, Vikram Bhatt had earlier told ANI that he believed the police were being misled. He claimed that he had received no prior information before learning about the FIR through media reports and a journalist acquaintance.
Bhatt questioned the financial claims mentioned in the FIR and said that if any such document was submitted to the police, it would be forged. He also raised concerns about the complainant’s alleged lack of familiarity with the film industry, raising questions as to why so many projects were undertaken if wrongdoing had taken place.
The filmmaker further stated that there were disagreements regarding production budget and methods, including the use of green screen technology versus actual on-location shoots, which he said could have significantly increased costs.
He also made reference to projects titled ‘Tumko Meri Kasam’ and ‘Viraat’, alleging that some productions were stopped midway and workers were not paid.
Bhatt said he has emails and contracts to support his claims and reiterated that he will seek evidence regarding filing of the FIR.
Vikram Bhatt started his career in the film industry at the age of 14 as an assistant on director Mukul Anand’s debut film ‘Kanoon Kya Karega’. He later directed several notable films, including ‘Ghulam’ starring Aamir Khan, which was a box-office success.
In 2008, Bhatt returned to the horror genre and delivered films like ‘1920’, ‘Shaapit’ and ‘Haunted – 3D’.