Kamal Ghorui
Celina Jaitly has been seeking answers over the detention of her brother, Maj (retd.) Vikrant Kumar Jaitly, in the United Arab Emirates since September last year. The issue came to light for her at a time when she was dealing with a deeply troubled marriage and an ongoing domestic violence case against her husband, Peter Haag.A few days ago, the Delhi High Court passed an order allowing the appointment of a UAE-based legal firm to represent Major (retd.) Vikrant Jaitly. Speaking to news agency PTI, Celina opened up about the moment she first learnt about her brother’s detention and how it coincided with one of the most difficult phases of her personal life.
‘I was in a very abusive and bad marriage’
Recalling the night she received the call, Celina said she was living in Austria at the time and initially did not believe what she was being told.“I got to know around September 29. The call came at around nine at night. I was living in Austria then. At first, I thought my brother was playing a prank. For an hour, I dismissed it as one of his stupid jokes,” she said.Placing the incident in the context of her personal circumstances, the actor spoke about the marriage she was trying to hold together at the time.“I was in a very abusive and bad marriage. But when you have children, you do everything to make that work. When you don’t have parents, when you no longer have your assets, you do everything to keep your marriage going, specifically for your children,” she added.Celina had previously spoken about filing a case against Peter Haag under the Domestic Violence Act, alleging domestic violence, cruelty and manipulation.
‘If I don’t leave Austria, I won’t be able to stand up for my brother’
The actress said she soon realised that staying back in Austria would make it impossible for her to pursue the matter or fight for her brother’s release.“I took that decision in the middle of battle, without dragging my children into it. Knowing that if I don’t leave Austria, I won’t be able to stand up for my brother. At 1 o’clock in the night, with hardly any money, a ticket bought on a credit card, I left Austria and came to India,” she said.
‘Nobody came to my support’
Celina further said that after returning to India, she found herself without any institutional or personal support.The actress revealed that she had to seek a court injunction just to enter her Mumbai home, alleging that her estranged husband was attempting to sell the property without her consent. She then approached the Delhi High Court to initiate legal proceedings aimed at bringing her brother back to India.
Petition alleges illegal detention since September 2024
In her petition, Celina claimed that Major (retd.) Vikrant Jaitly had been illegally abducted and detained in the UAE since September 2024. The plea also stated that despite more than a year having passed, the Centre had failed to secure even basic information about his welfare or legal status.The Delhi High Court’s recent order permitting a UAE-based legal firm to represent her brother is being viewed as a significant development in the case.
