Indian Supreme Court Grants Interim Bail to Vikram Bhatt and Wife in Rs.30 Crore Cheating Case

In a significant relief, the Indian Supreme Court of India has granted interim bail to Bollywood filmmaker Vikram Bhatt and his wife, Shwetambari Bhatt, in a high-profile cheating and fraud case involving allegations of misappropriating around Rs. 30 crore related to a movie production deal.

The couple, arrested by Rajasthan Police in Mumbai in December 2025, had been in judicial custody at Udaipur Central Jail for over two months following the rejection of their bail plea by the Rajasthan High Court on January 31, 2026.

A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi heard the matter on February 13, 2026. The court directed the immediate release of Shwetambari Bhatt on interim bail, ordering her forthwith release upon furnishing bail bonds to the satisfaction of the Chief Judicial Magistrate in Udaipur. Similar interim relief was extended to Vikram Bhatt in related proceedings.

The apex court issued notices to the State of Rajasthan and impleaded the complainant, Rajasthan-based IVF specialist and entrepreneur Dr. Ajay Murdia, as a party to the case. During the hearing, the bench questioned whether criminal proceedings were being misused as a tool for recovering money in what appears to stem from a contractual or film financing dispute.

The court remarked that “arrest should not be routine” and observed, “cannot put everybody in jail” in such matters, emphasizing restraint in invoking criminal law for civil or financial issues.

The allegations center on funds provided by Murdia for producing films purportedly inspired by or based on aspects of his life, which the complainant claims were misappropriated through cheating and criminal breach of trust.