India Gets Access To Army Officer In UAE
Major (retd) Jaitley, the brother of former Bollywood actress Celina Jaitley, was reportedly detained outside a mall in September last year under mysterious circumstances: Reports
NEW DELHI: India said on Friday that its diplomats in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have been granted consular access to former Indian Army officer Major (Retd.) Vikrant Jaitley, who has reportedly been in detention there for over 14 months. The grounds for his detention remain unclear.
Major (retd) Jaitley, the brother of former Bollywood actress Celina Jaitley, was reportedly detained outside a mall in September last year under mysterious circumstances. His family had earlier petitioned the Delhi High Court seeking assistance in the matter.
At the weekly media briefing on Friday, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “We are seized of the matter related to Indian national Major Vikrant Jaitley. Consular officials from our Embassy in Abu Dhabi have met him four times and continue to extend all possible consular assistance. The Embassy is in touch with his family, including his wife, as directed by the Delhi High Court.”
India and the UAE share close strategic and defence ties, making the case particularly sensitive. This is the second incident in recent years involving the detention of Indian former defence personnel in a Gulf nation.
It may be recalled that Qatar had released eight Indian former naval personnel last year after months of detention on espionage charges. The release was followed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Qatar in February, soon after the Gulf nation cleared their return.