Actress Celina Jaitly’s brother detained in UAE for a year, Delhi HC directs Centre to provide him legal aid

The court has also directed for appointment of a nodal officer to liaise with the UAE authorities.

Celina, represented by advocates Raghav Kacker, Ribhav Pande and Madhav Aggarwal, had moved the Delhi HC with a petition claiming that her brother was illegally abducted and detained in UAE on September 6, 2024.

She claimed that for the past year, she has failed to secure basic information about her brother, including his welfare and legal status, despite repeated requests and representations to the Indian authorities.

On Monday, the Centre’s counsel told the HC that Vikrant has been arrested “for a national security-related case in UAE” and that the Indian authorities have been in correspondence with his wife and has provided him with consular access. Celina’s counsel, however, indicated that Vikrant is estranged from his wife.

Vikrant had been living in UAE since 2016 and was employed with Matiti Group, which is engaged in trading, consultancy and risk-management services.

Celina has submitted that over the course of the year, Vikrant was granted only four consular visits — in May, June, August and September this year. She further submitted in her plea that she only got to know about Vikrant’s detention three weeks after his abduction, from his wife.

Celina has submitted that Vikrant has been “subjected to severe mental anguish on account of his prolonged detention for over one year” and is “currently facing cognitive decline and other serious medical issues which are being left to deteriorate”.

Celina, in her petition, sought the court’s intervention to provide effective legal representation, securing necessary legal expenses, and directing the Indian authorities to facilitate contact and real-time communication with her brother.

The court has now kept the matter for consideration on December 6.