In a case that reads like the script of a Bollywood thriller minus the catharsis, actress Alia Bhatt finds herself at the center of a deeply personal and professional betrayal. And at the center of it all is a woman she once trusted with her life: her ex-executive assistant, Vedika Prakash Shetty. For almost three years, between 2021 and 2024, Vedika was not merely an employee. She was the right hand to one of the most bankable stars in the nation. Whether she had to organize Alia’s packed schedule or deal with paperwork for Eternal Sunshine Productions, Vedika was present, seen, dependable, and above all, trusted. But that trust, it now appears, might have been grossly misplaced. It all began with a gut feeling. In January this year, Alia was reviewing an invoice for an event fee when something didn’t feel right. The contact details listed seemed off. On a whim or maybe out of rising suspicion, she called the number. On the other end was not an event manager but a friend of Vedika’s. That moment triggered a deeper look into her financials. What followed was a full-blown audit, and the results were shocking: forged invoices, falsified vendor names, payments to unfamiliar bank accounts, and tech products bought under company expense but delivered to unrelated addresses. According to the Juhu police, the scam ran deep, and the amount allegedly siphoned off stands at a staggering ₹77 lakh. Investigators believe Vedika used the names of personal acquaintances Satvik Sahu (₹43 lakh), Chandni Prasad Dixit (₹18 lakh), and Manish Sukhij (₹6 lakh) to mask the trail, redirecting funds and possibly laundering them through their accounts. Whether they were complicit or merely used as pawns is still not clear. But just when the money scandal appeared to be the heart of the tale, the plot took a sinister turn. What began as embezzlement can now have global consequences. Insiders to the case have come forward with information that Vedika is also under investigation for leaking confidential internal information from Alia’s production house to some unknown person residing in the United States. These range from confidential scripts and financial documents toeven unreleased content. Cybercrime teams are now in the picture, attempting to follow digital trails, establish the recipient, and identify the motive. Was this an act of desperation to make money? Or was Vedika working with someone who had a stake in Bollywood’s inside world? The answers remain to be seen. As the news exploded in the media, another family came forward, bringing back memories they had long tried to forget. Meera Rautela, mother of actress Urvashi Rautela, alleged that Vedika had previously worked as Urvashi’s assistant between 2015 and 2017 and had left behind similar wounds. According to Meera, Vedika was “like family” at the time, with access to their home, their private moments, and even their elderly mother’s room. One particular memory still stings: during the Miss Universe India crown ceremony in 2016, Meera says she caught Vedika red-handed, her hand inside a purse that wasn’t hers. That same day, a large sum of cash reportedly went missing from Urvashi’s grandmother’s suitcase. Despite Vedika’s denial, the incident haunted them for years and resurfaced now with fresh relevance. “She used to casually mention big names like Shilpa Shetty and Suniel Shetty to boost her credibility. We never thought to question it back then,” Meera said in her statement. “Now, it all makes sense.” Despite the mounting headlines and police involvement, Alia Bhatt has chosen not to comment publicly, perhaps out of legal caution or sheer emotional fatigue. Urvashi, also, has remained silent, allowing her mother’s testimony to go unchallenged. For both sets of parents, though, this is about something more than money lost or devices gone missing. It’s a betrayal of trust and a crossing of boundaries. Particularly in a field where professional lines tend to blur into personal, the breach hurts all the more. The larger question this case brings up is chilling: How many other families has Vedika purportedly exploited? And how many other “assistants” in Bollywood are given unqualified access without proper background screening or accountability? Until now, the police have arrested Vedika under various sections of the IPC, such as criminal breach of trust, cheating, and fraud. The cybercrime wing is pursuing the online leak aspect, particularly the link to an American-based party. As this investigation continues, one can hardly envision the unspoken tension rippling like a wave through showbiz. Assistants are stars’ behind-the-scenes lifelines, paying bills and patching breakdowns. Vedika’s case is a reminder, however, that the biggest threat sometimes lies not outside, but among your closest friends. This isn’t a stolen money case. It’s a case of stolen trust, shattered bonds, and the irreparable harm that was left in its wake. Guilty or not guilty, whatever comes of Vedika Prakash Shetty, the wounds she’s left behind on families, on reputations, and on relationships could heal a lot slower than even any monetary loss.