The Delhi High Court on Thursday directed the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to facilitate communication between Bollywood actor Celina Jaitly and her brother, Retired Major Vikrant Kumar Jaitly, who has been detained in the UAE for over 14 months. The order came despite strong opposition from the detainee’s wife, who argued that the plea was frivolous and that her husband had explicitly chosen not to contact his sister.
Justice Sachin Datta, presiding over the single-bench hearing, emphasized Celina’s fundamental right to reach out to her sibling, stating, “The petitioner is entitled to call her brother and I have directed the Consulate to facilitate that.” The court instructed the MEA to inform Major Vikrant during his next consular access, via the UAE’s TAMM App or any other available mode, that his sister wishes to speak with him.
The MEA was also asked to submit a fresh status report on the matter, with the case listed for further hearing on December 23, 2025.
Major Vikrant, a fourth-generation armed forces veteran who previously served in a UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, was allegedly abducted from a mall in Abu Dhabi on September 6, 2024, in the presence of his wife. Employed since 2016 with the MATITI Group, he has been held without what Celina described as adequate legal or medical support, leading to concerns over his cognitive health.
Celina has repeatedly sought MEA intervention, including lodging a grievance on the government’s MADAD Portal, approaching the Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi and Consulate in Dubai, and meeting officials in person. Despite these efforts, she alleged no substantive updates or communication channels were provided.
Represented by advocates Raghav Kacker and Madhav Agrawal, Celina’s petition urged the court to direct the MEA to ensure her brother’s legal representation, medical care, regular consular monitoring of his welfare, and direct family contact, in line with international consular access conventions. Her counsel highlighted the lack of transparency in the matter, noting, “The detainee cannot choose who to call. To download the app, we need an Emirates ID for making the call. We don’t know what has happened in the last 16 months.”
The MEA, through Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma and standing counsel Nidhi Raman, assured the court of ongoing efforts, including consular visits and the appointment of a nodal officer. They confirmed that Major Vikrant has received the specific legal counsel he requested and that his wife’s and sister’s numbers were added to his calling card.
However, Sharma acknowledged the sensitivity of the case, describing it as a “national security issue” while underscoring the government’s respect for the Jaitly family’s military legacy. He said, “The Government is acutely conscious and sensitive to the credibility of the family. This is 4th generation serving in the Armed Forces and they have laid down their lives.” The ASG also noted that Celina’s MADAD grievance had been transferred for closure, and efforts were being made to enable the requested communication.
However, Major Vikrant’s wife has opposed the petition filed by Celina, calling it frivolous. She asserted that she maintains weekly video calls with her husband and claimed that he has indicated a clear preference against contacting Celina. The wife’s counsel added that the MEA is providing assistance and the petition is unnecessary interference.
“MEA is providing assistance. She has chosen to file this in court despite telling not to. This litigation is frivolous. He [Major Jaitly] has indicated his preference to not contact his sister,” her counsel submitted.
The MEA confirmed the arguments by the wife, describing the siblings as “estranged” and the issue as a “family matter.” The MEA added that while they had requested to add the numbers of both the wife and the sister in Major Vikrant’s calling card, he chose to add only his wife.
Standing counsel Nidhi Raman said, “We requested them to add the wife and sister’s number in the calling card of the brother and he has chosen to contact his sister. They are estranged, it is a family issue.”
However, the court stated that the Celina Jaitley is entitled to call her brother, and directed the MEA to facilitate the same.
