Filmmaker Vikram Bhatt, wife held for cheating Rajasthan doctor of Rs 30 crore

Mumbai:The Udaipur police on Sunday arrested popular filmmaker Vikram Bhatt and his wife from Mumbai in a Rs 30 crore cheating case registered in Rajasthan, an official said.

Bhatt, his wife Shwetambari Bhatt, and six others are accused of defrauding Udaipur-based Dr Ajay Murdia, founder of Indira Group of Companies, of Rs 30 crore, the official added. Two people have been arrested in the case earlier, he said.

A team of Udaipur Police, which is probing the case, apprehended Vikram Bhatt and Shwetambari on Sunday, he said.

"Murdia, owner of Indira IVF Hospital, wanted to make a biopic on his late wife. He has alleged that he was promised earnings of Rs 200 crore. But nothing materialised, after which Murdia approached Bhopalpura police station in Udaipur, where an FIR was registered for cheating and other offences," the official said.

Udaipur police, later in the evening, secured transit remand of Bhatt and his wife till December 9.

The couple's lawyers-Rakesh Singh and Sanjay Singh-claimed Rajasthan police had high-handedly arrested the duo without proper permission. They claimed the couple was threatened and forced to sign a document without date and time.

Murdia, who operates a business across India in the field of female infertility, has alleged the filmmaker, along with other accused, duped him by inducements and false assurances of huge profits from film production.

Police's preliminary investigations reveal Dr Murdia was introduced to the accused by an acquaintance with a proposal to produce a biopic on his late wife.

After that, an agreement was prepared in May 2024 between Murdia and the Bhatts to produce a total of four films, including the biopic, police said. The total deal was valued at Rs 47 crore. While the first two projects were reportedly completed, the remaining films were never made, police said.

The probe by Udaipur police has found that the accused prepared fake documents (bills of fake vendors) with the intention of cheating and defrauding the complainant of crores of rupees.

A plan was prepared by the accused persons to deceive the complainant, receiving funds by preparing fake bills (in the name of fake vendors), preparing documents by greatly inflating vouchers and salary vouchers compared to reality, and verifying them as true, police said The accused allegedly siphoned off approximately Rs 30 crore from Murdia.

After being produced in court, Rajasthan police sought transit remand for two days to transport the accused from Mumbai to Udaipur by road for further interrogation and legal proceedings.

The couple's lawyers Rakesh Singh and Sanjay Singh told court the grounds of arrest were not properly communicated to the accused. The police forced them to sign a document without date and time, they claimed.

Police threatened that they would torture him in Rajasthan if he did not sign the document as per their wish, the defence claimed.

After hearing both sides, the court allowed transit remand till December 9.