Actor Celina Jaitly has filed a case against her husband Peter Haag accusing him of domestic violence, cruelty and manipulation, seeking ₹50 crores and other sums in lieu of her loss. Her legal team has given more details about the case, mentioning that Celina was trapped in a troubled marriage, adding that she is now determined to fight for custody of her kids.
Inside details about the case
The case is being fought by Karanjawala & Co on behalf of Celina. The case against Celina’s husband Peter Haag, under the Domestic Violence Act, for domestic violence, cruelty and manipulation, came up on Tuesday before the Court of SC Tadye, Ld. Judicial Magistrate First Class, Andheri, for verification and notice.
Talking about the case, Niharika Karanjawala Misra, principal associate at the law firm, tells Hindustan Times, “It is a domestic violence case”.
“There’s been a prolonged amount of emotional and physical cruelty, manipulation and coercion in their marriage. Also a lot of financial control and isolating her to a great extent from a lot of people that especially happened after her parents passed away in 2017,” Niharika claims.
Niharika mentions that there is a parallel “civil proceeding” going on in Mumbai for her flat. “When she was going through a particularly hard time emotionally in 2017, following the death of both her parents and one of her children, she went through a period of grief-related depression. Peter used that in order to coerce and manipulate her into transferring her Mumbai property to him via gift deed. So, this sort of behaviour had continued at length through their marriage, and eventually it came to a point where it got too much and she had to come away and fight,” Niharika states.
Celina’s allegedly abusive marriage
According to Niharika, Celina went through “physical abuse” during her marriage. She ran and came back to Mumbai in October this year.
“He’s threatened her repeatedly. He treated her with tremendous cruelty, and would tell her things when they were out like, ‘you look like my maid’ and ‘people would think I’m out walking with the help’. He would threaten her with things like, ‘I’ll disfigure your face’. It was a very difficult sort of marriage,” Niharika claims.
At the moment, Celina’s kids are with Peter in Austria. “They are Austrian citizens. We have filed for custody. There is a divorce matter that Peter has initiated in Austria, which she is also fighting,” claims the advocate.
Here, she mentions that the Austrian court has allowed one hour of telephonic access to Celina to her children every day. In accordance, she is now allowed access to children for an hour every day.
“She’s been able to speak every day with the children telephonically. So that has been a great victory personally for her,” she added,
What’s the next move?
“The notice is returnable on December 12th if Peter Haag appears… They will give their version of events and respond to the allegations that we have made because the allegations are very serious. Then it will be fought out in the court in Andheri. Then we will see where that takes us,” the lawyer mentions.
Celina speaks up
Just hours after reports of the case began circulating online, Celina addressed the situation on social media, opening up about the turbulent phase she is navigating.
“In the middle of the strongest most turbulent storm of my life I never imagined I would spend fighting alone, without any parents, without any support system I never thought there would come a day without all the pillars on which the roof of my world once rested, my parents, my brother, my children, & the one who promised to stand by me, love me, care for me, & bear every trouble with me,” Celina wrote.
The actor went on to express her state of mind through a poem, writing, “Life stripped everything away. People I trusted walked away. Promises I believed in broke in silence. But the storm did not drown me. It delivered me. It tossed me out of violent waters onto warm sands. It forced me to meet the woman inside me who refuses to die. Because I am a soldier’s daughter. Raised on courage, discipline, grit, resilience, fire & faith. I have been taught to get up when the world wants me to fall. To fight when my heart is breaking. To show no mercy when I have been wronged. To survive even when it feels impossible.”
“My priority remains fighting for my soldier brother, fighting for my children’s love, fighting for my dignity. A DV complaint has been filed against all the atrocities, abandonment perpetrated upon me. In my darkest hour, the legal force to reckon with, Karanjawala & Co, became the shield I needed to fight for my dignity & rights, I am so grateful for their unwavering understanding and protection. As my matter is subjudice, I am unable to make any comments at this time. I kindly request you to contact my legal representatives for any official information or statements,” she added.
Celina got married to Peter, an Austrian entrepreneur and hotelier, in 2010. They have three sons – twin boys, Winston and Viraaj, born in 2012, and Arthur, born in 2017. One of her sons, Shamsher, passed away due to a heart condition.
