Rajasthan Police arrested filmmaker Vikram Bhatt and his wife Shwetambari Bhatt from Mumbai on Sunday. They are accused of fraudulently obtaining Rs 30 crore from a Udaipur-based businessman, Dr Ajay Murdia, under the pretext of making a film. The police team apprehended Vikram Bhatt from Ganga Bhavan Apartments in the Yari Road area of Mumbai.
Now, the Rajasthan Police have applied for transit remand in the Bandra court to bring them to Udaipur. Once approved, the police took both to Udaipur late at night.
Dr Ajay Murdia, owner of Indira Group of Companies, filed an FIR on November 17 against Vikram Bhatt and seven others for cheating him of Rs 30 crore. Dr Murdia said he met Dinesh Kataria at an event, who proposed making a biopic on his wife.
Dinesh Kataria claimed the film would highlight his wife’s contributions to the entire nation. On April 24, 2024, Dr Murdia was invited to Vrindavan Studio in Mumbai where he was introduced to Vikram Bhatt. They discussed making the biopic, and Vikram Bhatt agreed to take full responsibility for the film, asking Dr Murdia to keep sending funds.
Vikram Bhatt informed that his wife Shwetambari and daughter Krishna are also involved in filmmaking. He made Shwetambari’s firm VSB LLP a partner. They signed contracts worth Rs 40 crore for two films titled ‘Bionic’ and ‘Maharana’.
On May 31, 2024, Rs 2.5 crore was transferred via RTGS to Vikram Bhatt. A few days later, a demand for Rs 7 crore was made, promising four films worth Rs 47 crore that could generate profits of Rs 100-200 crore. Following instructions from Vikram Bhatt and his wife, Dr Murdia made online payments to various vendors.
On July 2, 2024, Indira Entertainment LLP was registered, and around Rs 3 lakh was paid from its account. Initial investigations revealed these vendors were fake, including painters and auto drivers. After payments, a large portion of money was transferred to Shwetambari Bhatt’s account.
On November 29, Udaipur Police issued lookout notices against Vikram Bhatt, his wife, and four others. They were asked to appear before the police by December 8. None of the accused can now travel abroad without police permission.
Vikram Bhatt stated he had not received any official notice and came to know of the case through the media. He told ANI that he believes the police are being misled and that if there was wrongdoing, there should be written proof. He questioned why multiple films were started if there was deception involved.
The filmmaker added that he has been part of the film industry for 30 years and never faced such allegations. He explained that delays in the film ‘Virat’ were due to business decisions linked to his company’s upcoming IPO. Dr Murdia allegedly delayed payments to technicians involved in the production.
Earlier, on November 18, co-producer Mahboob Ansari and vendor Sandeep Vishwanath Tribhuvan were arrested in connection with the Rs 30 crore fraud case.
My name is Bhupendra Singh Chundawat. I am an experienced content writer with several years of expertise in the field. Currently, I contribute to Daily Kiran, creating engaging and informative content across a variety of categories including technology, health, travel, education, and automobiles. My goal is to deliver accurate, insightful, and captivating information through my words to help readers stay informed and empowered.
