Alia Bhatt fraud case: Ex-PA's US connection amid arrest
What's the story
A shocking development has come up in the Alia Bhatt fraud case, where her former personal assistant Vedika Shetty was arrested for allegedly duping the actor of ₹76.9 lakh. As per NDTV, the Juhu Police revealed that Shetty leaked confidential information about Bhatt's Eternal Sunshine Productions to a US resident named Shivasai Teja. The accused was arrested in Bengaluru recently and is currently in police custody.
Investigation details
Police are trying to find out how Shetty met Teja
Shetty, who worked as Bhatt's assistant from 2021 until the fraud was discovered, reportedly met a US resident named Teja in December 2023. She allegedly shared confidential information about Bhatt's production house with him via WhatsApp without the knowledge of the actor or her mother, Soni Razdan. The police are now trying to find out more about Teja and his connection with Shetty.
Fraudulent actions
Details of the alleged fraud
From May 2022 and March 2024, Shetty allegedly transferred large amounts of money from Bhatt's account to various individuals and firms. The amounts include ₹43 lakh to Satvik Sahu, ₹57,000 to Simi John, ₹77,000 to Shashank Pandey, and ₹18 lakh to Chandni Jitendra Prasad Dixit. She also allegedly spent ₹4.36 lakh in the name of Eternal Sunshine Productions on goods delivered to different addresses.
Fraud detection
How the scam came to light
The fraud was discovered in January 2025 when Shetty sent an invoice to Bhatt for clearing bills for an event. Bhatt became suspicious and called the number on the invoice, only to find it belonged to a friend of Shetty. This prompted Bhatt to audit her bank accounts, which revealed the fraudulent activities. The accused has been booked under relevant legal provisions, including cheating and criminal breach of trust.