New Delhi: Terming her arrest in an alleged cheating case ‘unfortunate’, the Supreme Court on Friday granted bail to filmmaker Vikram Bhatt’s wife Shwetambari and ordered her immediate release from Central Jail, Udaipur. Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi told a bench of CJI Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi that on a frivolous cheating case lodged by Ajay Murdia, owner of Indira IVF and a partner of Indira Entertainment LLP, Rajasthan police had picked up the husband and wife from Mumbai in December.

When Murdia’s counsel Harsh Surana said it is a case of cheating Rs 44 crore, the bench asked, “Can a criminal case be used for recovery of dues? It is very unfortunate.” It issued notice to Rajasthan and Murdia and asked them to file response by Wednesday while posting further hearing on Thursday.

In its order, the bench said, “Meanwhile, as an interim measure, it is directed that Shwetambari V Bhatt, wife of Vikram Bhatt, presently incarcerated at Central Jail, Udaipur, be released forthwith on interim bail subject to her furnishing bail bond to the satisfaction of the chief judicial magistrate, Udaipur”. The Rajasthan HC had rejected bail pleas of Bhatts on January 31.