Celina Jaitly’s UAE case takes dramatic turn as sister-in-law challenges her stand: ‘Should have consulted…’

While the Delhi High Court has stepped in to help Celina speak to her detained brother, a fresh disagreement within the family has complicated the fight.

For the past few months, actor Celina Jaitly has been juggling more than one legal storm. Her domestic violence case against her husband, Peter Haag, is still before the court. But running parallel to it is another matter that has weighed heavily on her, the detention of her brother, Major (Retd.) Vikrant Kumar Jaitly has been held in the UAE since September 2024.

A key development came earlier this week when the Delhi High Court directed the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to ensure Celina can speak to her brother. The court appointed a nodal officer to coordinate with the UAE authorities, offering Celina a sense of relief. But just as the legal path cleared slightly, tension surfaced within the family.

What sparked the rift with her sister-in-law?

Soon after Celina welcomed the court’s order, her sister-in-law, Charul Jaitly, issued a counterstatement through her lawyer, Advocate Sudhanshu Pandey. He challenged Celina’s claims and questioned why she chose legal action now.

According to him, Vikrant had settled in Dubai after taking premature retirement from the Army in 2016–17. Charul, he said, had been in touch with the MEA much earlier and had already secured consular access for her husband. Officials had informed her that Vikrant’s detention was linked to “national security and cyber issues” involving certain companies he may have interacted with.

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The lawyer stressed that Charul had followed protocol and waited for clearer answers from the UAE, especially since the investigation began around September 6, 2023. What hurt Charul, he added, was the lack of coordination.

He alleged that when Charul first informed Celina about Vikrant’s situation, “visible help” did not come from her. He also argued that Celina never informed Charul before moving court, saying, “If this step was driven by genuine concern, she should have consulted us.”

#WATCH | Delhi: Speaking on retired Indian Army Major Vikrant Jaitly’s case, Vikrant’s wife Charul Jaitly’s lawyer, Major Sudhanshu Pandey, says, “Vikrant was an ex-army officer… In 2016-17, due to family circumstances, he took premature retirement, and since then, he has set… pic.twitter.com/mXdXVajNSn

— ANI (@ANI) December 7, 2025

Were claims of withheld information true?

Sudhanshu rejected the suggestion that Charul kept Celina in the dark. “There are absolutely no such reasons,” he said, adding that the family is simply waiting for UAE authorities to complete the investigation before making any further moves.

What has the court ordered now?

Following Celina’s petition, the court has asked the Centre for an updated status report. It also directed that during the next consular visit, Vikrant must be told that his sister wishes to speak with him. The MEA has been asked to quickly arrange communication—whether through the TAMM app or any platform approved by UAE authorities.

The matter will now come up for its next hearing on December 23.