Alia Bhatt’s former assistant Vedika Prakash Shetty was arrested in Bengaluru on July 9 for allegedly cheating the actress out of ₹76.9 lakh. Mumbai Police say Shetty forged Alia’s signature and submitted fake vendor bills from May 2022 to August 2024. The fraud surfaced in a routine audit after Shetty resigned and moved cities.
According to the police report, Shetty routed funds from Alia’s personal and company accounts into a friend’s bank account. The friend then transferred the money back to Shetty. The cheating came to light when Alia’s mother Soni Razdan noticed repeated billing mismatches and filed a complaint in February. Shetty had been on the run for five months, traveling through Rajasthan, Pune, and Karnataka before being caught. There were no signs Alia knew about the fraud earlier. Officials confirmed there’s no link between this case and Alia’s ongoing film projects or production house.
Shetty is in police custody till July 10, and a deeper audit is underway to identify possible accomplices or more financial misuse. This arrest highlights the risk of unchecked staff access in Bollywood’s tight personal circles. Could stricter audits be the answer?
