Mumbai: Actress Celina Jaitly heaved a sigh of relief after the Delhi High Court directed the Centre to ensure legal and medical welfare for her brother who has been detained in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for over a year.
Celina had approached the high court seeking directions to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to ensure her brother, Major (Retd) Vikrant Kumar Jaitly, received necessary assistance. Celina’s petition claimed that the retired Indian Army officer was “illegally abducted and detained” in Abu Dhabi in September 2024 and the family has not been able to contact him since then.
The actress stated that despite registering a grievance on the government-run MADAD portal and writing multiple times to the Indian Embassy and the MEA, she has received no verified information about her brother’s welfare.
Major Jaitly, who served in the Indian Army and on a UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, moved to the UAE after leaving the Armed Forces.
Celina pointed out that her brother had been residing in the UAE since 2016 and was employed with the MATITI Group, a trading and risk management firm.
Justice Sachin Datta issued notice to the MEA and directed it to file a status report within four weeks. The court instructed that a nodal officer be appointed to keep the family updated about Major Jaitly’s status and legal proceedings in the UAE.
The court also asked the authorities to facilitate effective legal representation for Major Jaitly and to ensure communication between him, his sister and his wife.
After the high court’s directions, the actress shared an emotional post on Instagram.
Describing the court’s order a “long-awaited ray of hope” after months of uncertainty, Celina wrote: “After an arduous 14 months, I have finally reached the light at the end of the dark tunnel. You fought for us, bhai — now it’s time for us to stand behind you.”
Celina also spoke to mediapersons after the court hearing.
“It has been a nightmare for me for a year. I am very grateful for today’s judgment. As India is rising and becoming bigger and bigger in the international diaspora, our soldiers are becoming targets overseas over and over again. I think today’s judgment will really help in bringing him back, and I am very grateful to Raghav (her lawyer) and the entire team here.”
