The Delhi High Court was informed that Celina Jaitly’s detained brother does not wish to interact with her. The Court directed the Centre to apprise him of legal representation options during the next consular access in the UAE.
The Delhi High Court on Thursday heard a petition filed by actor Celina Jaitly regarding the detention of her brother, Major (Retired) Vikrant Kumar Jaitly, who has been in custody in the UAE since 2024. During the hearing, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) informed the Court that Vikrant does not wish to communicate with his sister.
The matter came up before a single-judge bench of Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav. Earlier, the Court had directed the Foreign Ministry to help establish communication between Celina and her brother after she alleged that he had been “illegally abducted and detained” in the UAE.
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On Thursday, the Ministry informed the Court that during previous interactions, Vikrant had expressed that he did not want to engage with his sister. Taking note of this, the Court directed the Centre to hand over Celina Jaitly’s petition to her brother during the next scheduled consular meeting, which is set for February 13.
The Court also heard submissions from Vikrant’s wife, Charul Jaitly. She repeated her claim that her husband shares a strained relationship with his sister. Charul requested the Court to impose a media gag order, stating that her marriage had become a “public spectacle” because of Celina Jaitly’s petition. However, the Court refused to grant such an order. It clarified that the matter was not merely a family dispute but concerned the detention of a retired Army Major.
After being informed that Vikrant does not wish to interact with his sister, the Court encouraged both parties to cooperate. It observed,
“The court has also heard the petitioner and Vikrant’s wife in order to facilitate best legal assistance… the court requests both to re-establish relations…”
During the hearing, the Foreign Ministry informed the Court that it had already sought consular access to Vikrant and had issued a letter authorising an Emirati law firm to represent him in the UAE proceedings.
The Court directed the Centre to inform Vikrant about the government-appointed law firm during the next consular meeting. It stated that if Vikrant does not wish to work with the suggested firm, he may recommend another lawyer of his choice. The Court further observed that if Vikrant agrees, the necessary Power of Attorney document could be signed to enable legal representation.
The Court also recorded Charul Jaitly’s statement that she had met her husband in the UAE jail and that he opposed engaging the law firm suggested by his sister, Celina. According to Charul, her husband prefers to be represented by the law firm appointed by the government.
Charul further submitted that Celina Jaitly had approached the Delhi High Court without her consent. She argued that the right to appoint a lawyer for her husband lies solely with her.
Dictating its order, the Court stated, “In the meantime,” the court dictated,
“… takes on record the fact that the Embassy (in the UAE) sought consular access to Vikrant on February 13. Depending on the next consular access, subject to UAE (laws), let embassy officials apprise Vikrant regarding engagement of law firm.”
The Court further added,
“If Vikrant consents, then let the necessary formalities be undertaken with expedition.”
It also clarified the legal position by stating,
“(If) Vikrant is not willing… then he will have to take another legal recourse. The legal assistance will depend on Jaitly, who is in detention. His wife is here and that is enough to close the matter. Nothing to show she is not working in tandem with Vikrant,”
the court declared.
Despite this, Charul Jaitly maintained before the Court that she is
“the only authorised person to engage a lawyer”.
The Court then directed her counsel to submit a sealed note on the issue and listed the matter for further hearing on February 17.
The case has drawn public attention due to the involvement of a well-known actor and the international dimension of the detention. The Delhi High Court has made it clear that while family differences may exist, the focus of the proceedings remains on ensuring proper legal representation and consular assistance for Vikrant Kumar Jaitly in accordance with UAE laws.
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