Celina Jaitly on receiving relief in her brother’s case: 'After my three sons, he is my only…'

Celina Jaitly's efforts to assist her brother, Major Vikrant Jaitly (Retd), who has been detained in the UAE since 2024, have finally yielded a positive result after nearly 17 months of campaigning. Following a court order this Tuesday, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) will now provide legal support in the UAE and prepare a defense for him, offering Celina a much-needed sense of optimism.

Khalid Almarri Partners and Advocates, a UAE-based legal firm, will now represent Celina's brother. They will arrange a meeting with him to determine the reasons for his detention.

This order provides the necessary clarity and mandate to ensure coordinated action, Celina stated to HT. The actor has been persistent in her efforts, posting about her brother and reaching out to relevant organizations to fight the case, remaining determined to assist him.

Celina refuses to give up for her brother

Driven by her love for her brother, the actor has remained steadfast in her fight, refusing to give up. My brother was unable to speak for himself, and I knew that silence would only deepen his vulnerability. Vikrant is my only immediate family after my three sons... Even on days when there was no response, no clarity, and no immediate relief, I was guided by the belief that persistence is often the only way to ensure accountability. As a sister, stepping back was never an option. The conviction that sustained effort, however exhausting, was necessary to protect his rights and dignity is what kept me going, says the actor.

Vikrant’s wife’s role in his life

After retiring from the Indian Army, Vikrant relocated to Dubai, where he and his wife, Charul Jaitly, co-founded a company. When questioned about Charul's involvement in the current situation, Celina says, There are significant unanswered questions surrounding the sequence of events following my brother being taken. The fact of the matter is that my brother will receive legal representation only today, seventeen months since his abduction, through my petition before the Hon’ble Delhi High Court, to which my sister-in-law is not a party.

She adds, That said, given that the matter is sub judice, I am refraining from conjecture. What is essential is that transparency, consistency, and credibility guide the assessment of all actions and omissions in a situation involving a soldier’s liberty in a foreign land.

Celina on undergoing a legal battle

Celina learned of her brother's detention from his wife a month after the incident in September 2024. Raghav Kacker, Celina's lawyer in India, then outlined the next steps. Only locals are allowed to appear in court there in Dubai and be part of a criminal defence or of any kind of defence. It could actually be a very simple process of just you know filing certain procedural things and getting him out or it could be something which is a full blown defence we don’t know. I will get clarity after they get the appointment letter and after they get the power of attorney from the Vikrant. The judge has directed that we get access to Vikrant before February 10.