Mumbai: Vedika Prakash Shetty, the former personal assistant to Bollywood actor Alia Bhatt, has been arrested by Mumbai Police for allegedly defrauding the actress and her production company of approximately ₹76.9 lakh. The arrest was made on July 8 in Bengaluru after Shetty had been on the run for nearly five months.
According to police sources, Shetty, 32, is accused of siphoning off the money between May 2022 and August 2024. During this period, she allegedly created fake invoices related to production expenses and forged Alia Bhatt’s signatures. The fraudulent bills included claims for hotel stays, air travel, payments to junior artistes, and other project-related costs. Police said the funds were routed through a friend’s bank account before being transferred to Shetty’s own account.
The matter came to light in January 2025 when Alia Bhatt’s mother, actress Soni Razdan, filed a complaint at the Juhu Police Station. The complaint stated that Shetty had not only cheated Alia personally but had also defrauded Eternal Sunshine Productions Pvt Ltd, the company owned by the actress.
An FIR was registered under sections 408 (criminal breach of trust by clerk or servant), 420 (cheating), 465 (forgery), and 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating) of the Indian Penal Code. Since then, Shetty had been absconding and was traced across multiple locations, including Rajasthan, Pune, and Karnataka.
A police team from Juhu finally located her at her sister’s residence in Bengaluru. She was brought to Mumbai on a transit remand and produced before a local court. She is currently in police custody as investigations continue.
The police are now examining her bank records and digital devices to determine the full extent of the alleged embezzlement. No official statement has been made by Alia Bhatt or her representatives so far.
