‘Didn’t Consult Us’: Lawyer Of Major Vikrant’s Wife Counters Celina Jaitly's Court Move

A fresh rift has emerged within the family of Major (Retd) Vikrant Kumar Jaitly, currently detained in the UAE, with his wife’s lawyer countering claims made by Vikrant’s sister and actor Celina Jaitly.

Advocate Sudhanshu Pandey, representing Vikrant’s wife, Charul Jaitly, said that Celina had initiated legal action regarding consular access for her brother without informing or consulting the family—a move he described as unfortunate and unnecessary, as reported by news agency ANI.

Speaking about the circumstances leading up to the case, Pandey said Major Vikrant had taken premature retirement in 2016–17 due to family reasons and had since settled in Dubai to pursue private work. “We were told there were national security and cyber-related issues

involving certain companies he may have dealt with. His wife was trying to understand what exactly had happened,” he said.

He added that Charul had reached out to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), after which Vikrant was granted consular access and was informed about ongoing investigations.

The advocate further slammed the actor for lack of involvement during the early stages of the case.

“Celina was the one Charul contacted first when she learned about this. But Celina did not come forward in any visible manner to help. The incident happened on September 6, 2023. Charul followed protocol and acted on advice. She waited for the case to progress,” Pandey said.

#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

According to him, Celina never informed Charul that she planned to move court seeking assistance from the Indian government.

“It would have been better had she consulted us. Charul would have come forward, and together they could have taken steps in the best interest of Vikrant,” he added.

Rebutting Celina’s claim that she had not been given information about her brother, Pandey said, “To say his wife withheld information is strongly rebutted. Charul approached everyone she believed could help Vikrant.”

The actor recently moved to the Delhi High Court seeking consular access and communication with her brother, claiming she had been unable to speak with him since his detention. She urged the government to assist her in establishing contact, saying her life had become a “countdown of fear and hope.”

The High Court, while hearing her plea, asked the MEA to make sure that Major Vikrant is informed, during the next consular access, that his sister Celina wishes to speak with him. The court also told the MEA to help Celina communicate with her brother, either through the TAMM app or any other method available.

The High Court asked the Centre to submit a fresh status report on the matter. The case will now be heard again on December 23.