Eight former Indian Navy members who have been held in Qatar for more than a year have been given the death sentence by a court there. The Indian government was shocked by the sentence and promised to use all legal means possible to get its people released.
The eight men were working for Al Dahra Global Technologies and Consultancy Services, a private company that gave training and other services to Qatar’s security forces and armed forces. Among them were decorated officers who had led large Indian warships. Their requests for bail were turned down several times, and the Qatari government kept them in jail longer.
Commander (retired) Purnendu Tiwari is one of the Indians being held. He was the managing director of Al Dahra and led several warships while in the navy.
‘Deeply shocked’
Based on what we know so far, the Court of First Instance of Qatar has made a decision in the case involving 8 Indian workers at Al Dahra. “The death penalty verdict has shocked us deeply, and we are now waiting for the full judgment,” the ministry of foreign affairs said in a statement.
“We are in touch with the family members and the legal team, and we are exploring all legal options,” it said.
The ministry made it clear that they are very interested in the case and have been keeping a close eye on it.
“We will continue to offer all legal and consular help.” “We will also talk about the verdict with the Qatari government,” the ministry said, declining to say anything else at this time because the case is still being investigated.
HT recently heard from people who know about the case but did not want to be named that the eight men have been charged with spying. Qatari and Indian officials have never said what charges the men were facing. They were kept in solitary confinement for long periods of time. The people also said that police in Qatar recently told an Indian journalist and his wife to leave the country because they were covering the story.
Late in March, the Indian citizens had their first court date.
There was an officer whose sister, Meetu Bhargava, asked the Indian government to help her get her brother back.
Bhargava asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to step in in a post on X on June 8.
“These Ex Navy officers are the pride of the nation & again I request our Hon’ble Prime Minister with folded hands that it is high time that they all are brought back to India immediately without any further delay pl. @narendramodi @AmitShah @rajnathsingh @MOS_MEA” she wrote on X.
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