Vikram Bhatt booked in ₹30cr fraud case, rejects 'misleading' allegations
What's the story
Filmmaker Vikram Bhatt has been booked in a ₹30 crore fraud case filed by Indira IVF founder Dr. Ajay Murdia. The complaint alleges that Bhatt and seven others, including his wife Shwetambari Bhatt, misappropriated funds under the pretext of producing a biopic in honor of Murdia's late wife. However, Bhatt has strongly denied these allegations and called the complaint "misleading."
Denial
'The police have been completely misguided'
Speaking to NDTV, Bhatt said he only learned about the complaint on Monday. He said, "Yes, I found out today that Ajay Murdia has filed an FIR not just against me but against eight of us." "I have read the FIR and in my view it is misleading. The police have been completely misguided because the things written in the FIR are absolutely wrong."
Allegation
Bhatt suggests forged evidence in complaint filing
Bhatt suggested that forged evidence may have been used in the filing of the complaint. He said, "It's obvious that he must have created some fabricated, forged documents. I don't know what exactly, but there must be something he used to convince the police." The FIR filed at Bhupalpura police station in Udaipur alleges that Bhatt and his team lured Murdia into investing over ₹30 crore in a film project with promised profits of up to ₹200 crore.
Counterclaims
Bhatt accuses Murdia of halting film production, unpaid dues
Bhatt also accused Murdia of abruptly halting the production of the film Virat and failing to pay technicians. He said, "He stopped the film Virat midway. And the payment that needs to be made to workers has still not been paid." "My technicians have called him. I think this is some tactic of his to avoid making payments."
Cooperation
Bhatt ready to cooperate with investigation
Despite the allegations, Bhatt has said he is ready to fully cooperate with the investigation. He said, "I have complete evidence for it. So my request to the police is: if you need proof, come to me, I will show everything." "After that you will know who is right and who is wrong." The case is currently under investigation.
Background
Bhatt's filmography and connection to Murdia
After starting his career as a teenager, Bhatt became an assistant to Mukul Anand. He made his directorial debut with Jaanam in 1992. He is known for directing thrillers like Ghulam and horror films like Raaz and 1920. His last project Tumko Meri Kasam was a biopic on Murdia, the founder of Indira IVF.