Rajasthan Police to Conclude Cheating Investigation Involving Sanjay Leela Bhansali
The Rajasthan Police has announced its decision to submit a closure report in a high-profile cheating case involving renowned filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali and two associates from his production team. This case, linked to the film Love & War featuring Bollywood stars Ranbir Kapoor, Vicky Kaushal, and Alia Bhatt, was under scrutiny since last year.
The development was presented to Justice Baljinder Singh Sandhu at the Rajasthan High Court on July 17. The announcement came during the hearing of a petition filed by Bhansali and his team members, Utkarsh Bali and Arvinder Gill, seeking to quash the First Information Report (FIR) lodged against them.
The State’s counsel informed the court that following a comprehensive investigation, the police have decided to file a negative final report. This report suggests that there is insufficient evidence to justify prosecution against the accused parties. The trial court will now make the final decision on whether to accept this police report.
Consequently, the High Court chose not to further entertain the plea from Bhansali and his team. “This Court has considered the matter and is not inclined to interfere,” the Bench stated while dismissing the petition. However, the Bench allowed the petitioners the opportunity to present their arguments at the appropriate stage before the competent court.
The case originated from an FIR filed at the Bichhwal Police Station in Bikaner on September 1, 2025. It included charges under Sections 318(4), 61(2), 352, and 351(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which pertain to cheating, criminal conspiracy, intentional insult, and criminal intimidation.
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The complaint was lodged by Prateek Raj Mathur, owner of a film production and hospitality firm specializing in line-production services. Mathur alleged that Bali, representing Bhansali’s production team, had approached him in November 2024 with a proposal to engage his services as a line producer for Love & War. He claimed that he was instructed to arrange security and logistics for the team’s planned visit to Rajasthan.
Mathur contended that after initiating arrangements and incurring expenses, he was abruptly informed that no collaboration would ensue. He further alleged that another individual was appointed as the line producer, and he faced threats from the production team when he sought reimbursement for his expenses.
In response, Bhansali and the other petitioners refuted these allegations, asserting that their discussions with Mathur were merely preliminary and exploratory. They emphasized that no formal agreement or budget approval had been established and claimed that Mathur was advised to halt any arrangements on November 28 and 29, 2024, with the proposed collaboration being terminated by December 2.
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The petitioners also challenged Mathur’s claim for approximately ₹2 lakh in expenses, arguing that these costs were incurred without their approval. They characterized the dispute as commercial, suggesting that the criminal proceedings were an attempt to compel payment.
The petitioners were represented by Advocate Nishant Bora, while Public Prosecutor Sameer Pareek appeared for the State.
