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Actor and model Celina Jaitly has made a heartfelt plea to the Indian government, seeking intervention in the case of her brother, Major (Retd) Vikrant Vikram Jaitly, who has been missing in the United Arab Emirates for the past 14 months. The former army officer was reportedly detained under “national security” grounds after being abducted in Dubai last year. Since then, Celina has had no contact with him, nor has he been granted any legal representation.

Celina Jaitly on her brother's detention

In a recent interview with Republic, Celina shared how the ordeal has been a “nightmare” and revealed her ongoing efforts to bring her brother back home.

When asked if she had any clarity about the reasons for his detention, she said, “I wish I knew the answer to that, and that is what I am here to look for – these answers. Nobody has anything to tell us at the moment, and that is why I approached the high court so I could get some clarity on the matter. We have already lost our parents, and it’s just the two of us who are left in the world with each other. The last 14 months, not knowing where my brother is or whether he is alive. I mean, I didn’t even know where he was for the first 8 months.”

She further shared that her brother was taken away without any official explanation.

“He was abducted for the first 8 months, and then I was informed that he has been moved to a detention centre,” she said.

His attorney gives further details

Her attorney, Raghav Kacker, also elaborated on the case, explaining why the term “abduction” is crucial.

“Actually the word ‘abduction’ is very important, because when he was picked up from the Mall of Emirates, it was not an official police car that picked him up. Now we know that he is officially with the authorities, but they have still kept us in the dark about what the case is and why he is being detained. In Dubai you can’t get the history of an entire case from just the case number; you actually need an official from the legal system who briefs you about the case. We couldn’t get that, so we have now tried to get the MEA to activate its channels,” said Kacker.

Delhi High Court steps in

Following her petition, the Delhi High Court has directed the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to establish communication with UAE authorities and submit a detailed report on December 6. The court has also asked the respondents to ensure legal representation for Vikrant’s case.

Celina recalled the last time she spoke to her brother, saying, “I last spoke to him during Rakhi in 2024, and it was around August 19. Bhai used to travel a lot and I was living in Austria. Since that day there was no response, and I initially thought that he might be busy. At the end of September I got a phone call by his wife where I got to know that he has been abducted by unknown entities. This is my appeal to the Indian government to bring him back.”

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Celina Jaitly (@celinajaitlyofficial)

Taking to social media after the Delhi HC’s direction, the No Entry actor shared a post expressing gratitude and hope. Posting a photo with her brother and late parents, she wrote, “I write this from the gates of the esteemed Delhi High Court with immense gratitude, as after an arduous 14 months I have finally reached the light at the end of the dark tunnel. You fought for us, bhai, now it’s time for us to stand behind you.”