New Delhi, March 16 The Delhi High Court on Monday closed proceedings on the petition filed by actress Celina Jaitly regarding the detention of her brother, Vikrant Jaitly, in the UAE, and asked the Centre to continue providing legal assistance to the retired major.
Observing that the Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi has met Vikrant Jaitly nine times since his arrest, and that the detainee has conveyed that decisions regarding his legal representation should be made by his wife and not his sister, Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav asked the petitioner's counsel, "What right do you have now?"
"It has been recorded that the Ministry of External Affairs is in active contact with Mr. Jaitly. It also appears that consular access has been granted to Mr. Jaitly. The Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi has interacted with him nine times," the court said.
"There is no reason to keep the writ petition pending. It is accordingly disposed of. The Ministry shall continue to remain in touch with Mr. Jaitly and provide all legal representation as may be available in law," the order said.
It also clarified that the well-being of Vikrant Jaitly should be taken care of by the Indian authorities.
The high court was hearing a petition filed by Celina Jaitly seeking effective legal representation for her brother, who had been "illegally abducted and detained" in the UAE since September 6, 2024.
Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma presented certain information to the court in a sealed cover and stated that in the latest consular meeting on February 18, Vikrant Jaitly took a clear stand that he did not wish to be represented by any firm and turned down his sister's suggestion to take pro bono services of a UAE-based firm.
Jaitly conveyed that he did not wish to communicate with his sister and that his wife is the only one who could take decisions on his behalf for legal representation, the court was informed.
Expressing concern over the possible reason why her brother has denied the pro bono legal assistance, the petitioner's counsel said she should be given access to her brother at least once through video conference.
"We are concerned for his safety, especially in view of the war," the petitioner's counsel said.
Turning down the request, the court said it was taking a view in the matter based on information provided by "officials of the Government of India, those authorized by the Indian consulate, and their interaction with Mr. Jaitly."
The court said that in the entire process, there is no question of a dispute between the petitioner and Vikrant Jaitly's wife coming into play.
"The dispute will have to be set aside... When Mr. Jaitly says something, we have to adhere to it," it said.
In her petition, the actress said that her brother, who was residing in the UAE since 2016, was employed with the MATITI Group, which is engaged in trading, consultancy, and risk management services.
However, despite the passage of over one year, the Ministry of External Affairs has failed to secure basic information about her brother, including his welfare conditions and legal status, the actor's plea alleged.
