Delhi HC asks Centre to help Celina Jaitly contact brother detained in UAE

NEw new new delhi: The Delhi heights margaret court has directed the Centre to use up steps to enable Bollywood actor Celina Jaitly to contact her brother, retired Major Vikrant Jaitly, who has been in detention in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for more than 14 months, even as Vikrant’s wife opposed the request.The court was hearing the actor’s petition seeking directions to the Central government to facilitate effective legal assistance for her brother, ensure real-time and direct communication between them, and provide regular consular access to monitor his well-being.A bench of justice Sachin Datta issued the direction after the actor, who was present in court in person and represented by advocates Raghav Kacker, Ribhav Pande, and Madhav Aggarwal, submitted that she had not been able to contact her brother due to technicalities.The Centre’s lawyer submitted that though the UAE authorities, on its request, had updated Vikrant’s calling card with Celina and his wife’s name, he chose not to call her. “He’s chosen not to call her, because they seem to be estranged,” the counsel said.However, the counsel added that it would make an effort to ensure consular access.Vikrant’s wife, who had not been made a party in the petition, opposed Celina’s request through her lawyer. The lawyer said her client had gotten in touch with Vikrant, and he had indicated a preference not to contact his sister. She termed the petition frivolous.“He has indicated his preference not to contact his sister. This litigation is frivolous,” the wife’s lawyer said.The actor’s petition claimed that her brother had been illegally abducted and detained in the UAE since September 2024. She contended that despite more than a year having passed, the Centre had failed to obtain even basic information about his welfare or legal status.The petition further alleged that the Centre had provided only “perfunctory consular assistance” and had failed to share any substantive information or updates about her brother’s situation.She also said that she had been denied even a single phone call or any verified communication with him for over a year and that, despite exhausting every possible avenue to seek the Centre’s help for his safety, no specific or reliable information had been provided.On November 3, the court had directed the Union ministry of external affairs to provide legal assistance to Vikrant, to take steps to facilitate communication between the siblings, and to appoint a nodal officer for the case.In its status report filed on December 3, the Centre stated that it had appointed a nodal officer and also provided the legal assistance sought by Vikrant.The matter will be heard next on December 23.