Actor Celina Jaitly's brother detained in UAE, court asks Centre to step in

Actor and former Miss India Celina Jaitly moved the Delhi High Court seeking help from the government for her brother, Major (Retd.) Vikrant Kumar Jaitly, who has been detained in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for over a year.

Celina approached the court seeking directions to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to ensure her brother receives adequate legal and medical assistance.

Her petition claimed that Major Jaitly was “illegally abducted and detained” in Abu Dhabi in September 2024 and that the family has not been able to contact him since.

Filed through advocates Raghav Kacker and Madhav Aggarwal, the plea also highlighted that despite registering a grievance on the MADAD portal and writing multiple times to the Indian Embassy and the MEA, she has received no verified information about his welfare.

The petition noted that he had been residing in the UAE since 2016 and was employed with the MATITI Group, a trading and risk management firm.

COURT SEEKS GOVERNMENT’S RESPONSE

After hearing the matter, Justice Sachin Datta issued notice to the Ministry of External Affairs and directed it to file a status report within four weeks. The court further instructed that a nodal officer be appointed to keep the family updated about Major Jaitly’s status and the legal proceedings in the UAE.

The court has also directed the authorities to facilitate effective legal representation for the detainee and to enable communication between him, his sister, and his wife. The matter will be heard again on December 4.

“The respondent shall depute a nodal officer for the above purpose and also to apprise the petitioner and other family members of the detainee as regards the status of the detainee and the legal proceedings. Let the nodal officer provide regular updates to the petitioner and other family members,” the court directed, as reported by Live Law.

During the proceedings, counsel for the Centre submitted that Indian authorities in the UAE have already granted consular access to the detainee. However, Celina’s counsel told the court that she has not been able to establish any contact with her brother despite repeated attempts, and that his health and legal condition remain unknown.

The plea further argues that the MEA has a continuing constitutional and moral duty to protect the rights of citizens detained abroad and cannot remain a “passive observer” when one of them is deprived of liberty in a foreign country.

CELINA’S EMOTIONAL RESPONSE

Following the hearing, Celina Jaitly shared an emotional post on Instagram, calling the court’s order a “long-awaited ray of hope” after months of uncertainty.

She 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.”

The actress also spoke about her family’s long-standing military background, writing, “He is a son, grandson, and great-grandson of war veterans who have dedicated their lives to India. My brother gave his youth to serve the nation, and now he needs his country to stand by him.”

Her post drew messages of support from fans, many of whom expressed solidarity and wished for her brother’s safe return.

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