New Delhi: The Supreme Court of India on Friday granted interim bail to Bollywood filmmaker Vikram Bhatt and his wife Shwetambari Bhatt, who have been lodged in Central jail in Udaipur in connection with a multi-crore fraud case, according to a News 18 report.
A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi passed the order while issuing notice on the petition filed by Shwetambari Bhatt and Vikram Bhatt challenging the Rajasthan High Court’s order denying them bail, reported Live Law.
Notices have been issued to the complainant, Ajay Murdia — founder of Indira IVF and Fertility Centre — and the Rajasthan government, with the next hearing scheduled for February 19, 2026.
During proceedings, senior counsel for the Bhatts argued that “one cannot put everybody in jail” while the opposing side highlighted the gravity of allegations in the multi-crore fraud case. The court noted that criminal proceedings should not be treated as tools for recovery of money and emphasised that pre-trial detention must follow due legal principles.
Vikram and Shwetambari were arrested on December 7, 2025, in Mumbai and produced before the Udaipur court following a complaint filed by Murdia. The complaint alleges that funds amounting to approximately Rs 30 crore were advanced to the couple in the name of producing films, including a biopic, but were allegedly misappropriated using fabricated bills and diverted into personal accounts instead of being used for production work.
Other accused in the case include Dinesh Kataria, a resident of Udaipur, and Mehboob Ansari, identified as Bhatt’s manager, who were also arrested by the Rajasthan police in connection with the matter.
Earlier, the Rajasthan High Court had refused bail to the couple on January 31, 2026, describing bail at that stage as “not appropriate.”
