Alia Bhatt’s ex-assistant arrested for cheating actor of Rs 77 lakh

Vedika Prakash Shetty, former personal assistant to actor Alia Bhatt, has been arrested by Mumbai Police for allegedly defrauding the actress of nearly Rs 76.9 lakh. Shetty, who was associated with Alia from 2021 to 2024, is accused of forging signatures and misappropriating funds from both the actor’s personal and production accounts.

The arrest was carried out by Juhu Police following a complaint filed several months ago by veteran actor and Alia’s mother, Soni Razdan. After a prolonged search operation, Shetty was traced to Bengaluru, taken into custody, and brought back to Mumbai. She was produced in court on Tuesday, July 9, 2025, and has been remanded to police custody until July 10.

Police sources revealed that Shetty had gone into hiding and frequently changed her location in an attempt to avoid arrest. She has been charged under Sections 316(4) and 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the newly implemented criminal code.