Bollywood actress Celina Jaitly’s prolonged battle for her brother, Major (Retd.) Vikrant Kumar Jaitly, has finally seen a significant breakthrough. The Delhi High Court has directed the Central government to provide effective legal representation to Vikrant, who has been detained in the UAE since September 2024 under a ‘national security case.’
Celina, who has been navigating this ordeal as her brother’s ‘sole surviving immediate blood relative,’ expressed her immense gratitude for the court’s intervention. She shared that the past year has been a ‘nightmare’ and highlighted the vulnerability of soldiers serving overseas, stating, “As India is rising and becoming bigger and bigger in the international diaspora, our soldiers are becoming targets overseas over and over again.” The court also urged authorities to facilitate contact between Celina and her brother.
Vikrant, a resident of the UAE since 2016 and employed with Matiti Group, was reportedly ‘illegally abducted and detained’ on September 6, 2024. Celina had filed a petition after being unable to ascertain his welfare or legal status. The Delhi High Court has now ordered the Ministry of External Affairs to submit a detailed status report within four weeks, with the next hearing scheduled for December 4.
Celina took to Instagram to convey her relief, describing the court’s decision as ‘the light at the end of the dark tunnel’ after a challenging 14 months.