Alia Bhatt's former assistant arrested; accused of Rs 77 lakh fraud

Alia Bhatt's former personal assistant, Vedika Prakash Shetty (32), has been arrested on charges of cheating the Bollywood actor of approximately Rs 77 lakh. Vedika is accused of committing financial irregularities totaling Rs 76.9 lakh within Alia's production company, Eternal Sunshine Productions Private Limited, and her personal accounts.

Police stated that the alleged fraud occurred between May 2022 and August 2024. The matter came to light after Alia's mother, actor-director Soni Razdan, filed a complaint with Juhu police on January 23. Subsequently, a case was registered under sections relating to criminal breach of trust and cheating, initiating a search for Vedika.

What are the chareges against Vedika Shetty?

According to police sources, Vedika served as Alia's personal assistant from 2021 to 2024, during which she managed the actor's financial documents, payments, and schedule.

The investigation revealed that Shetty allegedly prepared fake bills, secured Alia's signatures on them, and then siphoned off the money. She reportedly presented these expenses to the actor as legitimate costs for travel, meetings, and other related arrangements.

The probe further uncovered that Vedika utilized professional tools to make these fraudulent bills appear authentic. Once signed by Alia, the amounts were allegedly transferred to the account of a friend, who would then route the money back to Vedika Shetty.

Following the police complaint filed by Razdan, Vedika Shetty went on the run, frequently changing her location to evade capture. Her trail led police from Rajasthan to Karnataka, then to Pune, and finally to Bengaluru.

Juhu police ultimately apprehended her in Bengaluru and subsequently brought her to Mumbai on a transit remand.