Supreme Court grants interim bail to Vikram Bhatt’s wife in Rs 44-crore cheating case

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday granted interim bail to filmmaker Vikram Bhatt's wife Shwetambari Bhatt, lodged in central jail in Udaipur, in an alleged Rs 44-crore cheating case.

A bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi ordered Shwetambari's forthwith release, by directing the Chief Judicial Magistrate to pass the terms and conditions.

A complaint was filed by Ajay Murdia, the founder of Indira IVF and Fertility Centre, alleging that Bhatt and his wife induced him to invest over Rs 30 crore in a biopic of his late wife, promising him of high returns which never got materialised.

During the hearing, the court asked if the criminal case was a method to recover the dues, saying ''unfortunately, they (petitioners) have not sought quashing of the FIR.''

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the accused couple, claimed the complainant, Murdia wanted movies to be made on himself. "Both movies flopped. It is not my fault. Can't put the director and his wife in jail," Rohatgi submitted.

As the court directed for the release of Shwetambari, Murdia's counsel contended that it cannot be presumed that a woman would not commit a crime.

The bench then asked, "You want us to release both of them on bail?"

The court also impleaded Murdia, as a respondent in the matter, and fixed the matter for further hearing to next Wednesday.

The top court also issued notices to complainant Murdia and a resident of Udaipur, and the Rajasthan government for February 19.

The couple was arrested from Mumbai by Udaipur police in December last year. On January 31 this year, the Rajasthan high court's Jodhpur Bench dismissed their bail plea.