"She used professional tools to make these fake bills look authentic.”
Vedika Prakash Shetty, the former personal assistant to Alia Bhatt, has been arrested by Juhu Police for allegedly siphoning Rs 76.9 lakh (£66,000) from the actress’ production house and personal accounts.
Shetty is accused of submitting forged bills to Eternal Sunshine Productions Pvt Ltd and Alia’s personal accounts between May 2022 and August 2024.
The actress reportedly signed off on several fake expenses that Shetty claimed were for travel, meetings, and related arrangements.
Police said: “She told the actor that the expenses were for her travel, meetings and other related arrangements.
“She used professional tools to make these fake bills look authentic.”
According to police, once Alia signed the fabricated invoices, the money was transferred to an account belonging to Shetty’s friend.
The funds were then allegedly rerouted back to Shetty.
She worked with Alia Bhatt from 2021 to 2024, managing her schedule, handling financial documents, and overseeing payments.
The production company involved, Eternal Sunshine Productions, was launched by Alia in 2021.
Its debut film, Darlings, starred Alia alongside Vijay Varma and Shefali Shah and is currently streaming on Netflix.
Police say the fraud only came to light after Alia’s mother, Soni Razdan, filed a formal complaint at Juhu Police Station earlier in 2025.
A case was registered under sections related to criminal breach of trust and cheating. Officers then began a nationwide search for Shetty.
Police said Shetty went on the run and it was difficult to trace her due to her constantly changing locations.
An officer said:
“She was tracked down to Rajasthan, then to Karnataka, then to Pune and then to Bengaluru.”
Shetty was finally arrested in Bengaluru and brought to Mumbai on a transit remand.
As of now, neither Alia Bhatt nor her team has issued a public statement about the case. The investigation remains ongoing, with more details expected to emerge in the coming days.
On the acting front, Alia Bhatt will be next seen in Shiv Rawail’s spy thriller Alpha, which is a part of the YRF Spy Universe.
The film, also starring Sharvari Wagh, is slated to release in cinemas on December 25, 2025.
Along with Alpha, Alia will also star opposite her husband Ranbir Kapoor and Vicky Kaushal in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s romantic drama Love & War in 2026.
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