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Delhi HC Closes Celina Jaitly's Plea for Brother Detained in UAE

The Delhi High Court has disposed of a petition filed by Bollywood actress Celina Jaitly seeking consular access and legal representation for her brother, retired Major Vikrant Jaitly, who is detained in the UAE. The court was informed that Vikrant Jaitly had declined to communicate with his sister and did not wish for legal assistance at this stage. It noted that consular access had already been granted by Indian authorities. The court directed the Union government to remain in contact and provide all lawful assistance to him.

Key Points: Delhi HC Closes Celina Jaitly's Plea for Brother in UAE

  • Court closes plea after brother declines help
  • Retired Major detained in UAE since Sept 2024
  • Consular access already granted
  • Centre directed to provide ongoing assistance
2 min read

Delhi HC closes Celina Jaitly's plea for consular access to brother detained in UAE

Delhi High Court disposes of actress Celina Jaitly's petition for consular access to her brother, retired Major Vikrant Jaitly, detained in UAE.

Delhi HC closes Celina Jaitly's plea for consular access to brother detained in UAE
"Vikrant Jaitly had declined to communicate with his sister - Court Submission"

New Delhi, March 16

The Delhi High Court on Monday disposed of a petition filed by Bollywood actress Celina Jaitly, who sought legal representation and consular access to meet her brother, retired Army officer Major Vikrant Jaitly, allegedly "illegally abducted and detained" in the United Arab Emirates.

During the hearing, a single-judge Bench of Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav was informed that Vikrant Jaitly had declined to communicate with his sister and conveyed that any legal decisions concerning him should be taken only after consultation with his wife.

The Delhi High Court was also apprised that Jaitly had already been granted consular access by the Indian authorities. However, he expressed that he did not wish to avail legal assistance at this stage. Taking note of the submissions made before it, Justice Kaurav closed the proceedings and directed the Union government to remain in contact with Jaitly and extend all assistance to him in accordance with the law.

The petition had been filed by Celina Jaitly, alleging that her brother, a retired Indian Army officer residing in the UAE since 2016, had been illegally abducted and detained in September 2024. She had sought directions from the Delhi High Court to ensure consular access and legal representation for him.

In an earlier hearing, the Delhi High Court was informed by the Centre that the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) required additional time to pursue the matter through diplomatic channels and arrange a consular meeting with Jaitly.

Justice Kaurav had then deferred the hearing to March 16, observing that the request made by the Union government for time to facilitate the interaction through the Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi appeared reasonable.

The Delhi High Court had allowed the Centre three to four weeks to pursue the issue through diplomatic channels and explore mechanisms, including possible invocation of the India-UAE Mutual Legal Assistance Agreement, to facilitate communication with Vikrant Jaitly.

During the earlier proceedings, counsel appearing for Jaitly's wife, Charul Jaitly, had also sought to be impleaded as a party in the case and placed certain developments on record.

Justice Kaurav had observed that the writ petition filed against the Union government should not be treated as a family dispute, and further directed the parties not to interact with the media without the Delhi HC's permission.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

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Priyanka N
This is so sad. A retired Army officer detained abroad and his own family is divided on how to help him. 😔 Celina is clearly worried, but if Vikrant Ji is saying decisions should be taken with his wife, we have to respect that. Hope the MEA continues to monitor the situation closely.
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Aman W
Respectfully, I think Celina Jaitly used her celebrity status to file a petition that was perhaps not fully warranted. The court rightly said it's not a family dispute platform. Our embassies work hard for citizens abroad; we should trust the process. Jai Hind.
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Sarah B
Living in Dubai, I can say the legal system here is very different. "Illegally abducted" is a strong allegation. Often, there are financial or civil cases that lead to detention. The fact he doesn't want legal help now is strange, but the Indian embassy is the right channel.
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Vikram M
The core issue is the safety of an Indian citizen, that too a former serviceman. The court's direction to the government to remain in contact and extend assistance is crucial. Family dynamics are secondary. UAE is a friendly country, so diplomacy should resolve this.
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Kriti O
Feel for Celina. It must be terrifying to have a sibling detained and feel helpless. But if he's communicating with his wife and not her, there might be more to the story. Hope he is safe and the matter is sorted amicably without more public drama.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

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