In a significant development, prominent Bollywood filmmaker Vikram Bhatt and his wife Shwetambari Bhatt were taken into custody by police in the early hours of Sunday from Mumbai. The arrest is linked to a major fraud case involving an alleged sum of Rs 30 crore, which was registered in Udaipur, Rajasthan, last month.
The Core Allegations: A Biopic Investment Gone Wrong?
The case stems from a complaint filed by Dr. Ajay Murdia, a renowned IVF specialist from Udaipur and the founder of Indira IVF. According to the First Information Report (FIR), Dr. Murdia alleged that Vikram Bhatt, his wife, and six other individuals persuaded him to invest over Rs 30 crore for the production of a biopic based on his late wife.
The complainant stated he was promised substantial financial returns from the project, but these assurances failed to materialize. A month after filing the complaint, the Udaipur police escalated their efforts, issuing a lookout notice for the Bhatt couple last week to prevent them from leaving the country.
Arrest and Legal Proceedings
Acting on the warrant, a specialized team from the Udaipur police coordinated with their counterparts in Mumbai. The operation led to the arrest of the couple from the residence of Vikram Bhatt's sister in the Andheri area of Mumbai.
The couple was subsequently produced before a holiday magistrate in Mumbai. A Mumbai police officer involved in the process confirmed that the Udaipur team had arrived with a valid arrest warrant. The magistrate granted the police permission to transport the accused to Rajasthan, approving a two-day transit remand.
Udaipur Superintendent of Police Yogesh Goyal confirmed to the media that the Bhatts would be brought to the city for further investigation and legal proceedings.
Wider Net of Accused and Ongoing Investigation
The FIR, registered at the Bhupalpura police station in Udaipur on November 8, names a total of eight individuals. Besides Vikram and Shwetambari Bhatt, their daughter Krishna Bhatt is also named in the document.
Other accused include their associates Mehboob Ansari and Dinesh Kataria, the latter being a resident of Udaipur who allegedly played a key role in facilitating the deal. An additional suspect, vendor Sandeep Vishwanath, was also named.
In earlier arrests related to the same case, Mehboob Ansari and Sandeep Vishwanath were taken into custody from Mumbai on November 17. Police are currently searching for Dinesh Kataria, who remains at large.
The investigation is now deeply focused on forensically examining a trail of evidence. Authorities are meticulously scrutinizing the agreements signed between the parties, tracing complex bank transactions, and analyzing all relevant communications to build a watertight case based on the allegations.
Vikram Bhatt has publicly denied all accusations. In his defense, he has claimed that the police action is based on misinformation and that they have been "misguided" in their approach. The coming days are likely to see intense legal battles as the case moves forward in Rajasthan.
