Vikram Bhatt and his wife granted bail by SC in cheating case; advocate remarks 'Cannot put everybody in jail…

On Friday, the Supreme Court granted bail to filmmaker Vikram Bhatt and his wife, Shwetambari Bhatt, in a case involving allegations of owing Rs 30 crore. During the proceedings, their advocate argued that imprisonment for "everybody" in the case was unwarranted, leading to their subsequent release on bail.

Court Orders Vikram and Shwetambari Bhatt's Release

Following the bail decision, a bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi ordered the release of Vikram and Shwetambari Bhatt from Udaipur jail on Friday, as reported by PTI. The court instructed the Chief Judicial Magistrate to finalize the bail order, including specific terms and conditions. Additionally, the court issued notices to the complainant, Ajay Murdia, founder of Indira IVF and Fertility Centre in Udaipur, and to the Rajasthan government, with a hearing scheduled for February 19th regarding the case.

During the court proceedings, advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing Vikram and his wife, stated, "He cannot put the director, his wife, everybody in jail. What is going on?" The opposing counsel countered, arguing that the Rs 30 crore fraud case was not straightforward. According to Bar and Bench, the court then remarked that "these cases" should not be used for debt recovery. Ultimately, the court granted Vikram and Shwetambari interim bail, contingent upon bail bonds. The complainant, Ajay, was also ordered to be included as a respondent in the case.

Timeline of Events and Legal Proceedings

Vikram and Shwetambari Bhatt were initially arrested in Mumbai and subsequently transferred to Udaipur in December 2025, where they have been incarcerated since December 7. Also arrested by the Rajasthan police were Udaipur-based Dinesh Kataria and Vikram’s manager, Mehboob Ansari. Previously, on January 31, the Rajasthan High Court had denied their bail application, citing that granting bail to the accused would be deemed "not appropriate."

Allegations faced by Vikram Bhatt

Ajay filed a complaint against Vikram, Shwetambari, and others, alleging cheating and criminal breach of trust. The complaint claims that approximately Rs 30 crore was obtained under the pretense of a film project and was subsequently misappropriated. Ajay further alleges that the accused generated fraudulent bills under various names to extract funds. It is alleged that Vikram and the others deposited the money into their personal accounts and utilized it for their own purposes.

A businessman lodged a complaint in January, accusing the filmmaker and his daughter, Krishna Bhatt Sarda, of a ?13.5 crore fraud. The Versova police station in Mumbai registered the case, which has since been taken over by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) for investigation.