The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) clarified the situation regarding the eighth former Indian Navy officer who was initially sentenced to death by a Qatar court in an espionage case but later released. They stated that he had specific obligations to meet.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) mentioned in a briefing on Thursday that the eighth Indian citizen will come back once he has completed all the necessary conditions.
During the press briefing on Thursday, Randhir Jaiswal, the official spokesperson of the MEA said, "As you know, all 8 Indian nationals who were involved in the Al Dahra Global case, they have been released."
"Seven of them have returned to India...the eighth Indian national has certain requirements to fulfil. He will return as and when those are completed. So, that is where we are on the 8th national," Jaiswal added.
Amid the worried requests from the concerned family members of the Navy veterans to ensure their freedom and safe return to their country, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had promised to utilize all diplomatic means and provide legal support in order to repatriate them.
The group of Navy veterans, consisting of Captain Navtej Singh Gill, Captain Saurabh Vasisht, Commander Purnendu Tiwari, Captain Birendra Kumar Verma, Commander Sugunakar Pakala, Commander Sanjeev Gupta, Commander Amit Nagpal, and Sailor Ragesh, were apprehended in August 2022.
On December 28, 2023, Qatar's Court of Appeal commuted the death penalty awarded to all eight men in October 2023.
The eight Indian citizens, who have been detained in Qatar since October 2022, have been alleged to be involved in espionage related to a submarine project. The former naval officers have been given a death sentence by a Qatari court for charges that have not been officially disclosed to the public.
Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a meeting with Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani during the COP28 summit in Dubai. The two leaders discussed various aspects of their bilateral partnerships, as well as the welfare of the Indian community residing in Qatar.
