In a significant development, actor Alia Bhatt’s former personal assistant, Vedika Prakash Shetty, was taken into custody by Juhu Police on Tuesday evening in Bengaluru. The arrest follows nearly five months of investigation after a formal complaint was filed in February. Vedika stands accused of embezzling over ₹76 lakh from both Alia’s personal accounts and her production banner, Eternal Sunshine Productions Pvt Ltd.
According to sources within the police department, Vedika allegedly forged Alia Bhatt’s signature and discreetly redirected company funds to her own accounts over a span of two years, from 2023 to 2025. The alleged financial discrepancies came to light when Alia’s mother, veteran actor Soni Razdan, noticed irregularities and filed a police complaint. Following this, an FIR was registered, and authorities began tracking Vedika’s movements and financial activity.
The fraud reportedly amounts to ₹76,90,892 siphoned from the accounts of Eternal Sunshine Productions and Bhatt's personal finances. Shetty had worked closely with Alia for more than two years, managing both her professional and personal affairs including financial transactions and activities related to the production house. A team from Mumbai Police traced her location and carried out the arrest operation in Bengaluru. As of now, investigators are combing through her bank records and other financial documents to uncover the full extent of the misconduct. No official statement has been made by Alia Bhatt or her representatives regarding the incident.
Eternal Sunshine Productions, established by Alia in 2021, made its debut with the Netflix film Darlings, starring Alia herself alongside Shefali Shah, Vijay Varma, and Roshan Mathew.
Meanwhile, Alia is busy with upcoming film commitments. She will soon be seen in Alpha, a spy action film under the YRF Spy Universe, co-starring Sharvari and set for a December release. She is also currently shooting Love and War, a Sanjay Leela Bhansali directorial that brings her back on screen with Ranbir Kapoor and Vicky Kaushal.