Filmmaker Vikram Bhatt has been taken into custody in Mumbai in connection with a major ₹30 crore fraud case that was filed in Udaipur, Rajasthan. The director was arrested from his sister-in-law’s house on Yaari Road in a joint operation by the Rajasthan and Mumbai Police forces. The Rajasthan Police are now set to ask the Bandra Court for permission to move him to Udaipur for further investigation.
Vikram Bhatt Arrested In Rs 30 Crore Fraud Case After Calling Dr Murdia’s Allegations ‘Fabricated’https://t.co/JkJ0LziJrK
— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) December 7, 2025
The case began about 20 days ago when an FIR for a fraud of ₹30 crore was registered in Udaipur against a total of 8 people, including Vikram Bhatt and his wife, Shwetambari Bhatt. The group is accused of cheating Dr Ajay Murdia, the founder of the Indira IVF Hospital chain, by promising him a huge return of up to ₹200 crore on a film project. The Bhupalpura police station in Udaipur is leading the investigation.
The allegation of the doctor
Dr Ajay Murdia filed the complaint, stating he wanted to create a biographical film in memory of his late wife. He was put in touch with a person named Dinesh Kataria. Following Kataria’s suggestion, Dr Murdia went to Vrindavan Studio in Mumbai on 25th April, 2024, where he met Vikram Bhatt and discussed the biopic.
Bhatt reportedly told Dr Murdia that he would take care of all the filmmaking work and simply asked the doctor to keep sending money. Bhatt also mentioned that his wife and daughter were involved in the film business, and he had registered a firm called VSB LLP in his wife, Shwetambari Bhatt’s name.
As per the FIR, the doctor signed an agreement with Vikram Bhatt’s company for the production of four movies, and he made payments for the same. However, wile two movies were produced, they were not rightfully attributed, and the produciton house failed to make the movies as per terms of the contract. The production of the highest budget movie as per the contract didn’t event start, the complaint stated.
Lookout notice and other accused
Seven days before the director’s arrest, the Udaipur Police had issued a lookout notice against Vikram Bhatt, his wife Shwetambari, and six other people connected to the case. This notice stops all accused from leaving the country without police permission. The police had also given all of them a deadline of 8th December to appear before the Udaipur Police.
Besides Vikram Bhatt and his wife, the complaint names several others, including their daughter Krishna, Udaipur-resident Dinesh Kataria, producer Mehboob Ansari, Mudit Butattan from Delhi, Gangeshwar Lal Srivastava (DSC Chairman), and Ashok Dubey (General Secretary, Federation of Western India Cine Employees, Mumbai).
Before his arrest, Vikram Bhatt had released a statement denying the allegations, claiming the police were being misled by the complainant and that the documents being presented were potentially fake. Questioning the claims, Bhatt also said that the complainants had made multiple films with him, saying “if I have made you a fool, then why are you making a third film with me.”