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Indian Navy officials on death row in Qatar pardoned, released from jail

While seven of the Indian Navy veterans have returned to India last night, the eighth’s departure back home is delayed due to some paper work. Read More

Monday February 12, 2024 3:37 PM , ummid.com News Network

Doha: In a huge breather for the Veterans back home, Qatar has pardoned the eight former Indian Navy personnel - who were arrested in an alleged spying case and sentenced to death, and released them from jail.

While seven of the Indian Navy veterans have returned to India last night, the eighth’s departure back home is delayed due to some paper work.

India thanked Qatar Emir commenting on the release of the former Navy officials.

"Seven out of the eight of them have returned to India. We appreciate the decision by the Amir of the State of Qatar to enable the release and home-coming of these nationals," the Indian External Affairs Ministry said while hailing the welcoming the Navy Veterans release.

Qatar had handed over death penalty to them in October last year after their conviction in the spying case. The capital punishment was however commuted in December last following the diplomatic efforts by India.

Case Details

The Indian Navy veterans, all employees of Doha-based Dahra Global Technologies and Consultancy Services, were taken into custody in August 2022. They are Commander Purnendu Tiwari, Commander Sugunakar Pakala, Commander Amit Nagpal, Commander Sanjeev Gupta, Captain Navtej Singh Gill, Captain Birendra Kumar Verma, Captain Saurabh Vasisht and Sailor Ragesh Gopakumar.

The charges against them were not made public by Qatari authorities. But sources said the Indians had been working in their private capacity with Dahra Global to oversee the induction of Italian small stealth submarines U2I2.

A few months into their detainment, citing unnamed Qatari officials it was reported that the Navy veterans were spying on the country’s secret submarine program for Israel.

All former Navy officials have returned home except Commander Purnendu Tiwari. He is also expected to fly home soon.

The former Navy officials were kept in dark since last minute of their release from the jail. The family members too were informed only after they boarded the plane to India, they told the media.

 

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