Actress Celina Jaitly on Sunday urged the Indian government to secure the release of her brother, Major (Retd.) Vikrant Kumar Jaitly, who has been detained in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) since 2024.
“From the Battlefield to a Cell, The Unspoken Pain of an Indian Soldier, 444 Days Without My Brother. It’s been 1 year, 2 months, 17 days, 443 days in total, 10,632 hours, 637,920 minutes…since my brother, Major Vikrant Kumar Jaitly,(Retd) was taken. Since he was 1st abducted, held incommunicado for eight long months, then kept in detention somewhere in the Middle East, my life has been a countdown of fear, hope & unbearable silence. I am waiting to hear his voice, I am waiting to see his face, I dread what they have done to him,” reads Jaitly’s plea.
Jaitly revealed that her brother managed just one in the last 14 months.
The 43-year-old, known for her roles in No Entry (2005), Golmaal Returns (2008) and Thank You (2011), highlighted her brother's service in the Indian Army's elite 3 Para Special Forces.
“He suffers from many injuries from his line of duty. He has given his youth, his strength, his mind, his life to Bharat. He has lived & bled for the flag. As #bharat rises as a global force, our soldiers & #veterans are becoming easy targets abroad. This is not just personal anymore, this pattern of picking up our soldiers & veterans abroad… is this now jeopardising our own National Security instead? We must ask this question. We must demand answers. We must not turn away,” she wrote on Instagram.
Appealing to the government, Jaitly added, “We need the same, decisive action that was taken in Qatar, I am putting my faith, my life & my hope in our government ..That they will safely bring their soldier back. The same action that brought home our Naval veterans. Our soldier deserves no less. No #indian soldier deserves less. Bring our soldier back.”
Earlier this month, the Delhi High Court directed the Ministry of External Affairs to extend legal assistance to Major (Retd.) Jaitly.
Justice Sachin Datta issued a notice to the Ministry of External Affairs, asking officials to appoint a nodal officer to arrange for proper communication between the family and the UAE authorities.
A petition previously filed by Jaitly’s brother stated that he was taken into custody under unclear circumstances. He has been living in the UAE since 2016 for his work with a trading and risk-management firm.
The counsel for Celina argued that the detention, done without any proper communication or legal representation, violates his basic human rights.
Following the session, the court asked the government to file a detailed report before the next hearing on 4 December.