Vedika Prakash Shetty is the former personal assistant of Bollywood actress Alia Bhatt. Recent news reports indicate that Shetty has been arrested for allegedly defrauding Bhatt of ₹76.9 lakh. The Juhu Police arrested Shetty on Tuesday evening.
Shetty's alleged offenses involve financial irregularities committed at Alia Bhatt's production company, Eternal Sunshine Productions Private Limited, as well as in Bhatt's personal accounts. These alleged fraudulent activities reportedly occurred between May 2022 and August 2024.
According to police sources, Vedika Prakash Shetty worked as Alia Bhatt's personal assistant from 2021 to 2024. During this time, her responsibilities included managing the actress's financial documents, payments, and scheduling. The investigation suggests that Shetty allegedly created fake bills and forged Alia's signature on them, falsely claiming the expenses were for travel, meetings, and related arrangements. She then allegedly siphoned off the funds, using professional tools to make the bills appear genuine. The money was then transferred to a friend's account and then routed back to Shetty.
The case came to light after Alia Bhatt's mother, actress-director Soni Razdan, filed a complaint with the Juhu police on January 23. Subsequently, a case was registered under sections pertaining to criminal breach of trust and cheating.
Following the complaint, Vedika Shetty went on the run, frequently changing locations across Rajasthan, Karnataka, Pune, and Bengaluru. Eventually, the Juhu police located and arrested her in Bengaluru. She was presented in court on July 8 and has been remanded to police custody until July 10. Authorities are currently scrutinizing her bank accounts and financial records to ascertain the full extent of the situation.
Alia Bhatt launched Eternal Sunshine Productions in 2021 with the vision of creating "happy films" that focus on real, timeless, and heartwarming stories. The company's first project was "Darlings," co-produced with Shah Rukh Khan's Red Chillies Entertainment.
