If the latest reports are to be believed, filmmaker Vikram Bhatt has been arrested in an alleged fraud case worth Rs 30 crore. This comes after a lookout notice was earlier issued against filmmaker Vikram Bhatt, his wife Shwetambari Bhatt, and six other individuals in a fraud case by a renowned IVF doctor.
Vikram Bhatt arrested
According to reports, the arrest was carried out in a joint operation by the Rajasthan Police and Mumbai Police at his sister‑in‑law’s residence. Following his arrest, the Rajasthan Police are now expected to seek a transit remand from the Bandra Court to transfer Bhatt to Udaipur.
Seven days prior to the arrest, Udaipur Police had allegedly issued a lookout notice against Vikram Bhatt, his wife Shwetambari Bhatt, and six other individuals accused of defrauding Dr Ajay Murdia, founder of the Indira Group of Companies. They were accused of defrauding the doctor of Rs 30 crore. The notice required all the accused to appear before the Udaipur Police by December 8. The notice also barred them from travelling abroad without permission.
About the fraud case
An FIR for a Rs 30 crore fraud was registered in Udaipur about 20 days earlier, against eight people, including Vikram Bhatt and Shwetambari Bhatt. The complaint claimed that the couple had lured Dr Murdia with a promise of Rs 200 crore earnings. The investigation is currently being handled by the Bhopalpura police.
According to the police report, Dr Ajay Murdia, who is owner of Indira IVF Hospital, filed a complaint against Bhatt, his wife, their daughter Krishna (resident of Andheri West, Mumbai), Dinesh Kataria (Saheli Nagar, Udaipur), Mehboob Ansari (producer, Thane), Mudit Butattan (Delhi), Gangeshwar Lal Srivastava (DSC Chairman), and Ashok Dubey (General Secretary, Federation of Western India Cine Employees, Mumbai).
Dr Murdia claimed that he wanted to produce a biopic about his late wife and hence approached Dinesh Kataria for assistance. On the suggestions of Kataria, Dr Murdia visited Vrindavan Studio in Mumbai on April 25, 2024, where Kataria introduced him to Vikram Bhatt.
During the meeting, the Raaz filmmaker said he would handle all filmmaking work. He also asked Dr Murdia to send money accordingly. Bhatt also mentioned that his wife and daughter were involved as associates in the project. Notably, Bhatt has registered a firm, VSB LLP, in his wife Shwetambari Bhatt’s name.
Notably, earlier this year, Vikram Bhatt-directed Tumko Meri Kasam, starring Anupam Kher, Ishwak Singh, Adah Sharma, and Esha Deol in lead roles, was released. The film was inspired by the life of Dr Ajay Murdia, the founder of Indira IVF.