In a shocking turn of events, Alia Bhatt’s former personal assistant, Vedika Shetty, has been arrested for allegedly cheating the actor of a staggering Rs 77 lakh. The fraud, which occurred over a span of two years, between May 2022 and August 2024, was discovered after Alia Bhatt’s mother, actor-director Soni Razdan, filed a formal police complaint with Juhu police on January 23, 2025.

Vedika Shetty, 32, who worked as Bhatt’s personal assistant from 2021 to 2024, is accused of committing financial irregularities within the actress’s production company, Eternal Sunshine Productions Private Limited, as well as in her personal accounts. According to police sources, Shetty had access to Bhatt’s financial documents and payments, and allegedly used this position to carry out a complex fraud scheme involving fake billing.

The investigation revealed that Shetty had prepared fake bills for various expenses such as travel, meetings, and related arrangements, which Bhatt reportedly signed off on without realizing the fraudulent nature of the documents. The money was then transferred to a friend of Shetty's account, who would subsequently route it back to her.

Once the fraud was detected, Shetty went into hiding, constantly changing locations to avoid detection. Authorities traced her movements to Rajasthan, Karnataka, Pune, and ultimately Bengaluru, where she was apprehended by Juhu police. She was later brought to Mumbai under a transit demand for further investigation.

Alia Bhatt and her team were unaware of the financial discrepancies until the issue was raised by Soni Razdan, who immediately acted by filing the police complaint. The arrest of Vedika Shetty has shed light on the vulnerability of high-profile individuals to financial fraud, even by trusted assistants. The case has sparked conversations about financial security and the need for proper checks and balances within professional relationships.