Family feud erupts in Celina Jaitly's soldier brother detention case
What's the story
Bollywood actor Celina Jaitly is embroiled in a legal battle over her brother, Major (Retd.) Vikrant Kumar Jaitly, who has been detained in the UAE since September 2024. The Delhi High Court recently ordered the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to facilitate communication between Jaitly and her brother. However, this development has given way to a rift between Jaitly and her sister-in-law, Charul Jaitly.
Legal dispute
Charul's lawyer questions Jaitly's legal action
Advocate Sudhanshu Pandey, representing Charul, has questioned the timing and intent of Jaitly's legal move. He told ANI that Vikrant had taken premature retirement in 2016-17 due to family circumstances and had been settled in Dubai since then. He also revealed that Charul had already reached out to the MEA and received consular access for Vikrant.
Counterclaims
'It would have been better if she had consulted us'
Pandey stated that all decisions were taken based on official advice. He also claimed that Jaitly was the first person Charul contacted when she learned about Vikrant's detention, but did not offer any visible help. "While Charul was never informed by Celina that she had decided to take any legal recourse in this matter, it would have been better if she had consulted Charul," he said.
Information withheld
'To say that she is not being given information...'
Pandey also rebutted claims that the family withheld information from Jaitly. "To say that she is not being given information or that his wife is not giving her information, we actually strongly rebut because there are absolutely no such reasons," he said. He reiterated that the family is awaiting clarity from the UAE authorities regarding Vikrant's case.
Legal proceedings
Court's directive to facilitate communication
Jaitly's petition had prompted the court to ask the Centre for a fresh status report, emphasizing that Vikrant must be informed during the next consular visit that his sister wishes to speak with him. The MEA has been directed to ensure that communication is facilitated swiftly, either through the TAMM app or any other method permitted by UAE authorities. The matter will now be heard on December 23. Separately, Jaitly is fighting a domestic violence case against her husband, too.