udaipur. In a major development that has sent ripples through the film industry, Bollywood director Vikram Bhatt and his wife Shwetambari Bhatt have been remanded to seven days of police custody by the ACJM Court in Udaipur. The couple was brought to Udaipur late Monday night after a special police team arrested them from their Juhu residence in Mumbai on December 7.
A High-Profile Arrest: Mumbai to Udaipur
A six-member Udaipur police team led by DSP Chhagan Singh Rajpurohit reached Mumbai on December 7. The team conducted a strategic operation at Gangabhavan Complex, Juhu, where the couple stayed. Their security guards initially attempted to mislead the police, claiming the couple was not at home, but officers acted on precise intelligence and successfully detained them.
Upon arrival in Udaipur, the duo was kept at the Women Crime & Research Cell in Chitrakoot Nagar. When produced in court on Tuesday afternoon, both avoided the media and kept their faces covered.
Sources confirm that Vikram Bhatt has already challenged the case in the Jodhpur High Court, with a hearing scheduled for the same day.
Co-producer’s Bail Rejected; Fake Vendor Gets Conditional Bail
In a related development, the Udaipur court heard bail applications of two previously arrested accused on Monday.
- Mahboob Ansari, the co-producer linked to Bhatt, had his bail application rejected.
- Sandeep, accused of posing as a fake vendor, was granted conditional bail.
Both were arrested on November 16 and brought to Udaipur earlier.
The Fraud Allegation: A Biopic Offer, Four Films and ₹47 Crore Deal
The case stems from a complaint filed by Dr. Ajay Murdia, owner of the Indira Group of Companies, who alleges a massive financial scam involving Bhatt and several associates.
According to the FIR:
- Dr. Murdia met Dinesh Kataria at an event, who proposed making a biopic on Murdia’s wife.
- Kataria invited him to Vrindavan Studio, Mumbai, where he introduced him to Vikram Bhatt.
- Discussions progressed, and soon Bhatt and Shwetambari reportedly assured Murdia that with ₹7 crore upfront financing, they could produce four films for ₹47 crore, promising ₹100–200 crore profits after release.
Following this, Murdia allegedly transferred:
- ₹77,86,979 into accounts of Bhatt’s associates
- A total of ₹2,45,61,400 through various individual accounts
- Plus ₹42,70,82,232 through Indira Entertainment
Despite this massive funding, only two films were completed and released.
The third film “Vishva Virat” is reportedly only 25% complete,
while the fourth project “Maharana-Ran” never began filming.
The complaint alleges that ₹25 crore allocated for “Maharana-Ran” was misappropriated.
Eight People Named in the FIR
The FIR filed at Bhopalpura Police Station (Udaipur) names the following accused:
- Vikram Bhatt
- Shwetambari Bhatt
- Krishna (Bhatt’s daughter, Andheri West)
- Dinesh Kataria (Sahli Nagar, Udaipur)
- Mahboob Ansari (Co-producer, Thane)
- Mudit Buttatan (Delhi)
- Gangeshwar Lal Srivastava (DSC Chairman)
- Ashok Dubey (General Secretary, FWICE, Mumbai)
What Happens Next? – Police to Deep Dive Into Financial Trail
During the remand period, police will investigate:
- Complete financial transactions
- Fund flow to vendors and associates
- Discrepancies in film budgets
- Contracts, documents, studio accounts
- Reasons for incomplete films
This ₹30 crore fraud case, involving one of Bollywood’s known filmmakers, has now become one of the most closely watched investigations in the industry.