Actor Celina Jaitly has made a fresh, emotional appeal for the safe return of her brother, Maj. (Rtd.) Vikrant Kumar Jaitly, who has been detained in the UAE for more than a year. In a deeply personal Instagram post, she described the fear, uncertainty and silence that have defined her family’s life since his disappearance, while urging the Indian government to intervene with urgency.

Celina shares her pain in a heartfelt post

Jaitly posted a photograph of herself with her brother and reflected on the 14-month ordeal. "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," she wrote.

She said he was “held incommunicado for eight long months” after first being taken and remains in detention somewhere in the Middle East. The prolonged silence, she added, has left her living in “a countdown of fear, hope & unbearable silence.”

Jaitly also spoke of the single phone call her brother managed to make, describing it as a moment that continues to haunt her. "A call made to the only number he could still remember. A call carrying more pain than words. A call carrying more truth than the world is ready to face."

Family pushes for answers and action

Jaitly highlighted her brother’s distinguished service with the Indian Army’s elite 3 Para Special Forces, recalling the injuries and sacrifices he endured. She questioned the growing number of cases involving Indian soldiers and veterans being targeted abroad.

"He has given his youth, his strength, his mind, his life to Bharat... As #bharat rises as a global force, our soldiers & #veterans are becoming easy targets abroad. This is not just personal anymore... is this now jeopardising our own National Security instead?" she wrote.

Calling on the Indian government to act decisively, she invoked the recent intervention in the Qatar case. "We need the same, decisive action that was taken in Qatar... Our soldier deserves no less. No #indian soldier deserves less. Bring our soldier back."

Jaitly urged the public to keep the issue alive: “Do not let a man who gave everything to this nation be abandoned in silence... If you want to honour a soldier, be an Indian worth dying for."

Legal support and a glimmer of hope

The Delhi High Court directed the Ministry of External Affairs to provide legal assistance to Maj. (Rtd.) Jaitly, earlier this month. In her petition, Celina said that despite his decorated military record – including a COAS Commendation for Gallantry – officials still do not have clarity on his wellbeing or legal status.

Jaitly ended her post with a renewed vow to continue fighting until her brother is safely home. "BHAI I HAVE LOST EVERYTHING FINDING YOU I will NOT stop, I will NOT give up till he is back to the soil of his Bharat," she wrote, signing off with: “Kalika Mata Ki Jai.”