New Delhi: The Rajasthan High Court Tuesday refused to grant relief to filmmaker Vikram Bhatt in a Rs 30 crore cheating case. The court rejected his plea to quash the FIR on 5 January, saying that the matter required further probe.
Bhatt, known for films like Aamir Khan’s Ghulam, Emraan Hashmi’s Raaz Reboot and Hina Khan’s Hacked, was arrested, along with his wife, Shwetambari, on 7 December in Mumbai, after Udaipur-based businessman Ajay Murdia filed a complaint.
Bhatts’ lawyers contended that the venue for the hearing should be Mumbai and not Udaipur. They also requested an anticipatory bail hearing but were rejected.
A lower court had earlier denied them bail on medical grounds and had sent them to judicial custody.
According to PTI, Justice Sameer Jain refused to interfere, saying that the matter does not appear to be merely a breach of contract but, prima facie, involving deliberate diversion and misappropriation of funds. He further asked the police to continue the investigation.
Bhatt had argued that the dispute was civil in nature and did not justify criminal proceedings.
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Who is Dr Ajay Murdia? Why did he file a case?
Ajay Murdia, founder of Indira Group of Companies, known for their specialty fertility clinics, Indira IVF, was first introduced to Bhatt by a friend as he wanted to produce a biopic about his late wife, Indira Murdia.
In May 2024, an agreement was signed between Murdia and the Bhatts to produce four films, including the biopic, with the total deal valued at Rs 47 crore. Police said that while the first two projects were completed, the remaining films were never made.
The businessman alleged that he was promised returns of Rs 200 crore from the film projects, but nothing came of it.
After this, Murdia approached the Bhupalpura Police Station in Udaipur, where an FIR was registered for cheating and other offences.
Murdia claimed that the filmmaker and other accused misled him with false promises and assurances of huge profits.
The Udaipur Police probe also found that the accused allegedly created fake documents, including bills from non-existent vendors, to cheat and defraud Murdia.
Investigators claim the accused inflated expenses, salary vouchers, and production costs to siphon off funds.
(Edited by Insha Jalil Waziri)