The Supreme Court has granted interim bail to Shwetambari Bhatt, the wife of filmmaker Vikram Bhatt, in connection with an alleged Rs 30 crore fraud case, while raising serious questions about the Rajasthan Police’s decision to name her and her daughter as accused.
Shwetambari Bhatt and Vikram Bhatt had earlier been arrested by Rajasthan Police as part of the investigation. While hearing their bail pleas, a bench comprising Chief Justice Suryakant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi scrutinised the basis on which the police implicated both Shwetambari Bhatt and her daughter in the case, indicating concern over the justification for their inclusion.
During the proceedings, the court observed that criminal law should not be invoked as a mechanism to recover disputed money, emphasising that criminal proceedings cannot substitute civil remedies in financial disputes. The bench issued a notice to the Rajasthan government, directing it to submit its response to the bail petitions within one week.
The Supreme Court ordered the immediate release of Vikram Bhatt and Shwetambari Bhatt on interim bail, subject to the furnishing of appropriate bail bonds. The matter will be taken up again for further hearing on Thursday, when the court is expected to review the state’s response and examine the case in greater detail.
