New twist in Celina Jaitly’s UAE plea, sister-in-law’s lawyer counters actor: ‘Celina should have consulted with us…’
The latest update in Celina Jaitly’s case has taken an unexpected turn, with her sister-in-law’s lawyer publicly challenging the actor’s claims
Bollywood actor Celina Jaitly has spent the past few months navigating multiple legal battles. While her domestic violence case against husband Peter Haag — heard last month — remains pending, a significant development has emerged in her parallel fight for her brother, Major (Retd.) Vikrant Kumar Jaitly, who has been detained in the UAE since September 2024.
Earlier this week, the Delhi High Court directed the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to facilitate communication between Celina and her brother, appointing a nodal officer to coordinate with UAE authorities. The order prompted an emotional public note from Celina. However, even as the actor welcomed the court’s intervention, the situation took a complicated turn. A fresh rift has now emerged between Celina and her sister-in-law, Charul Jaitly.
A new disagreement within the family
Advocate Sudhanshu Pandey, representing Charul, countered Celina’s previous claims and questioned the timing and intent behind her legal move. Speaking to ANI, he shared a detailed account of the events leading up to Vikrant’s detention and the steps Vikrant's wife, Charul, had taken since.
“Vikrant was an ex-army officer... In 2016-17, due to family circumstances, he took premature retirement, and since then, he has set up his own work and has been settled in Dubai, where he is working...” Sudhanshu said. He added that Charul had already reached out to the MEA and received consular access for Vikrant. According to him, the authorities informed her that “there were some national security issues and cyber issues in respect of some different companies with whom Vikrant may have had some dealings...”
Sudhanshu also noted that Charul had followed protocol and waited for clarity on the investigation, which began around “the 6th of September 2023...” All decisions, he said, were taken based on official advice.
Then, in a rebuttal to Celina’s stance, the lawyer stated: “Celina was the one whom she (Charul) contacted first when she got to know about this, and she did not, at that point in time, come forward in any manner to help — at least, any visible help did not come from them.” He added that Charul would have preferred a collaborative approach: “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... If this was something that was motivated by her genuine concern for her brother, she should have consulted us.”
According to him, claims that the family withheld information are unfounded: “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.” Sudhanshu concluded by reiterating that the family is awaiting clarity from UAE authorities: “We have been told that some investigation is in the process for which he is required, and when it is over, we will be able to have a better insight into the disposal of Vikrant.”
What happens next
Celina’s petition had prompted the court to ask the Centre for a fresh status report, emphasising that Major Vikrant must be informed during the next consular visit that his sister hopes to speak with him. The MEA has been tasked with ensuring communication is facilitated swiftly—whether through the TAMM app or any other method UAE authorities permit. The matter is now scheduled for its next hearing on December 23.
