Fake bills and Rs 77 lakh fraud: Alia Bhatt's ex-secretary arrested after months on the run
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Fake bills and Rs 77 lakh fraud: Alia Bhatt's ex-secretary arrested after months on the run")
Photo of Alia Bhatt Photograph: (X)
Alia Bhatt's ex-secretary, Vedika, was arrested by Mumbai’s Juhu Police in Bengaluru, nearly five months after the complaint was filed against her. She had allegedly been on the run since the fraud came to light.
Bollywood actress Alia Bhatt’s former secretary, Vedika Prakash Shetty, has been arrested for allegedly defrauding the actor of Rs 77 lakh. The case was registered by the actor’s mother and veteran actress, Soni Razdan, after financial discrepancies were noticed in Bhatt’s accounts, both personal and related to her production company.
Vedika was arrested by Mumbai’s Juhu Police in Bengaluru, nearly five months after the complaint was filed against her. She had allegedly been on the run since the fraud came to light.
Alia Bhatt's ex-secretary arrested from Bengaluru
The matter first came to attention when Soni Razdan filed a complaint in January this year. Since then, Vedika has reportedly been absconding and frequently changing her location across several states, including Rajasthan and Karnataka, before she was finally caught in Bengaluru.
She was arrested in Bengaluru and presented before the court on July 8, where she was remanded to police custody until July 10.
The Juhu Police have booked Vedika under Sections 316(4) and 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
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What are the allegations?
Vedika reportedly worked with Bhatt from 2021 to 2024, during which time she managed her finances and scheduled her appointments, meetings and other personal things. Bhatt’s production house, Eternal Sunshine Productions, was launched in 2021.
Vedika is accused of forging Bhatt’s signature and embezzling over Rs 70 lakh from the actress’s accounts over two years. According to reports, she swindled money from Bhatt's bank accounts by presenting fake invoices to Bhatt for approval. The money was then transferred to a friend’s bank account and then was moved to Vedika’s account.
Shetty's friend has not kept any money that was allegedly embezzled. However, she has been questioned by the police.
No official statement has been released by Alia Bhatt or her team so far. The investigation is currently ongoing.
On the work front
Alia Bhatt will next be seen in YRF’s spy film Alpha, co-starring Sharvari Wagh, scheduled for release on December 25, 2025. She is also working on Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Love & War, alongside her husband Ranbir Kapoor and Vicky Kaushal.
