SC grants interim bail to filmmaker Vikram Bhatt's wife Shwetambari Bhatt in Rs 44-crore cheating case

JAIPUR: The Supreme Court on Friday granted interim bail to Shwetambari Bhatt, wife of filmmaker Vikram Bhatt, in an alleged Rs 44-crore cheating case.

A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi issued notice on a petition challenging the Rajasthan High Court’s order denying bail to the couple.

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the petitioners, argued that the dispute arose from a film project allegedly based on the complainant’s life and that the failure of the films could not be grounds for criminal prosecution. He sought interim relief for Shwetambari Bhatt.

Opposing the plea, counsel for the complainant said the case involved cheating to the tune of Rs 44 crore, while the Rajasthan government sought time to file a detailed reply.

The bench questioned whether criminal proceedings were being used for recovery of money and ordered Shwetambari Bhatt’s immediate release on interim bail. The matter further be heard next week on Feb 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, prompting them to approach the Supreme Court for relief.