Bollywood Scandal: Alia Bhatt's Ex-Secretary Nabbed for ₹77 Lakh Fraud
In a stunning revelation from the Bollywood industry, actress Alia Bhatt’s former personal secretary, 32-year-old Vedika Prakash Shetty, has been arrested for allegedly embezzling nearly ₹77 lakh over a period of two years. The arrest was made in Bengaluru, following a months-long investigation by Mumbai Police.
According to reports, Vedika Shetty served as Alia Bhatt’s personal secretary between May 2022 and August 2024. During her tenure, she allegedly siphoned off ₹76,90,892 from Alia’s personal account and her production company, Eternal Sunshine Productions Pvt. Ltd., using fake bills and forged documents.
Shetty, a resident of Marol in Andheri, had been entrusted with handling both Alia’s personal affairs and the day-to-day operations of the production house. However, it is alleged that she exploited her position of trust to carry out the fraud discreetly without informing anyone.
The matter came to light when discrepancies were noticed in financial records. In January 2025, Alia’s mother, actress and filmmaker Soni Razdan, filed a formal complaint at the Juhu Police Station, accusing Shetty of financial fraud and breach of trust.
After a five-month-long manhunt, the Mumbai Police located and arrested Shetty from Bengaluru. She has since been brought to Mumbai on a five-day transit remand, and an FIR has been registered against her under charges of cheating, forgery, and criminal breach of trust.
Police sources confirmed that Shetty is accused of transferring funds directly from Alia Bhatt’s personal and professional accounts into her own, using fabricated expense claims. The scam has sent shockwaves through the film industry, as Shetty had been seen working closely with Bhatt at high-profile events and during film shoots.
The investigation is ongoing, and further financial audits are underway to uncover the full extent of the fraud. Vedika Shetty is currently in police custody, and court proceedings are expected to follow soon.
This incident has raised serious concerns in Bollywood over financial security and internal accountability, especially for high-profile celebrities and production houses.