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Filmmaker Bhatt's FIR Refusal: Jail Time Looms?
6 Jan
Summary
- Rajasthan High Court denied quashing the FIR against Vikram Bhatt.
- The court found prima facie evidence of criminal misappropriation.
- Accused filmmaker and associates are currently in Udaipur jail.
The Rajasthan High Court has refused to quash a First Information Report (FIR) registered against Bollywood filmmaker Vikram Bhatt, his wife Shwetambari Bhatt, and others. The FIR pertains to an alleged film-funding embezzlement case, and the court's decision represents a setback for the accused, who are currently in Udaipur jail.
Justice Sameer Jain dismissed Bhatt's petition, stating the case appears to involve criminal misappropriation of funds rather than a mere contractual dispute. The court deemed no interference warranted at this stage, permitting the police investigation to proceed. The complaint was filed by Udaipur-based doctor Ajay Murdia, accusing Bhatt and associates of cheating and criminal breach of trust.
Bhatt's defense argued the dispute was civil, stemming from a contract breach and that jurisdiction lay in Mumbai. However, the court cited preliminary inquiry findings of deliberate fund diversion, lack of transparency, dishonesty, fake invoices, and circulation of funds as reasons to deny relief, reiterating that High Courts should not interfere when a cognizable offense is prima facie established.
