Alia Bhatt’s ex-personal assistant arrested for cheating actor of Rs 76 lakh

Vedika Prakash Shetty, 32, the former personal assistant of actress Alia Bhatt, has been arrested for allegedly cheating the actor of Rs 76.9 lakh.

The accused is said to have committed financial irregularities in Alia Bhatt’s production company, Eternal Sunshine Productions Private Limited, as well as in her personal accounts.

The fraud reportedly took place between May 2022 and August 2024.

The case came to light after Alia Bhatt’s mother, actress-director Soni Razdan, filed a complaint with the Juhu police on January 23.

Subsequently, a case was registered under sections pertaining to criminal breach of trust and cheating.

According to police sources, Vedika Shetty worked as Alia Bhatt’s personal assistant from 2021 to 2024. She was responsible for managing the actress’s financial documents, payments, and scheduling.

The investigation revealed that Vedika allegedly created fake bills and obtained Alia’s signature on them, claiming the expenses were for travel, meetings, and related arrangements. She then siphoned off the funds using professional tools to make the bills appear genuine. After Alia signed these bills, the money was transferred to a friend’s account, who then routed it back to Vedika.

Following the complaint, Vedika went on the run, frequently changing locations across Rajasthan, Karnataka, Pune, and Bengaluru. Eventually, the Juhu police located and arrested her in Bengaluru and brought her to Mumbai on transit demand.

Entertainment