Alia Bhatt’s Ex‑Secretary Frauded Her of Nearly ₹77 Lakh—Here’s the Scoop

What Went Down?

Vedika Prakash Shetty, who worked as Alia Bhatt’s personal assistant from 2021 to 2024, has recently been arrested for allegedly siphoning off approximately ₹76.9 lakh (around ₹77 lakh) from both Alia’s personal accounts and her production company, Eternal Sunshine Productions www.ndtv.com+14The Financial Express+14Onmanorama+14.

The alleged fraud spanned from around May 2022 to August 2024. During this time, Shetty reportedly created fake invoices and forged Alia’s signature, passing them off as legitimate expenses for things like travel and meetings. She then funneled the funds through friends’ bank accounts before taking the money back herself The Financial Express+1Free Press Journal+1.

How the Fraud Was Exposed

The trouble started when Soni Razdan, Alia’s mother and co-director of the production house, noticed some billing irregularities. In January 2025, she filed a complaint with the Juhu Police. Upon investigation, more fake invoices and forged signatures came to light, prompting an FIR under Sections 316(4) and 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (criminal breach of trust and cheating) www.ndtv.com

Manhunt and Arrest

Vedika went into hiding after the FIR was registered—shifting across cities like Mangaluru, Rajasthan, Pune, before finally being traced to her sister’s home in Bengaluru. The Juhu Police arrested her there after a five‑month-long search .

What the Police Found

After arresting Shetty, police recovered several high-value items purchased using the stolen funds—including an LED TV worth ₹90,000 and a refrigerator worth ₹48,000, stored at her uncle’s residence The Times of India.

Investigators also revealed Shetty may have unintentionally—or intentionally—shared confidential details of Eternal Sunshine Productions with an unknown US-based individual she contacted in late 2023. This has raised concerns over potential data breach and misuse India Today

What’s Next—Legal Status & Ongoing Investigations

Vedika has been remanded to police custody and later moved to Byculla jail pending further court hearings. Authorities are digging deeper into details: tracing her bank transactions, verifying accomplices’ roles, and assessing the total extent of misappropriated funds. Legal action under criminal breach of trust, cheating, forgery, and possibly cyber‑law violations is underway

No Public Statement Yet

As of now, neither Alia Bhatt nor her production house has released an official statement on the incident. The entire matter remains under investigation

Why It Matters

• A high‑profile breach of trust between celebrity and staff highlights how vulnerable even well‑managed finances can be.
• Fake invoice fraud shows the need for stronger internal audits—even for production houses led by celebrities.
• The potential leak of confidential business information to external parties raises new security concerns.

Bottom Line

It’s a complex case of betrayal: a trusted staff member allegedly abused access to siphon off a large sum over two years, using forged documents and proxies. While legal action is progressing, many questions remain—especially around possible accomplices and any further breaches of confidentiality.

Alia’s legal team and the Mumbai Police continue their probe, and the public awaits further developments.