In a major breakthrough the eight former Bhartiya Navy veterans have been released. After being detained in the Gulf country in an alleged case of espionage for eighteen months, seven of them have already returned while one of them will return soon, ending a prolonged battle of legalities and diplomatic efforts.
Captain Navtej Singh Gill, Captain Birendra Kumar Verma, Captain Saurabh Vasisht, Commander Amit Nagpal, Commander Purnendu Tiwari, Commander Sugunakar Pakala, Commander Sanjeev Gupta, and Sailor Ragesh incarcerated by Qatar, are now back in Bharat safely. Notably, the veterans thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bhartiya government for their timely intervention and said that they were grateful for how the case was handled between the two governments.
#WATCH | Delhi: One of the Navy veterans who returned from Qatar says, "We waited almost for 18 months to be back in India. We are extremely grateful to the PM. It wouldn't have been possible without his personal intervention and his equation with Qatar. We are grateful to the… pic.twitter.com/5DiBC0yZPd
— ANI (@ANI) February 12, 2024
August 2022: Qatar’s intelligence agency apprehended Indian nationals in Doha, employed by Al Dahra, a private company, on charges of espionage. No official charges were disclosed by either Qatar or India.
October 2022: The Qatari authorities detained them, alleging espionage related to a submarine, leading to their imprisonment.
March 2023: The trial of the navy veterans commenced in accordance with Qatari law, and charges were formally lodged against them.
October 2023: The Court of First Instance in Qatar issued a death sentence for the eight men. The central government expressed profound shock and pledged comprehensive consular and legal support, exploring all available avenues to aid the veterans.
November 2023: The Indian government lodged an appeal against the death sentence at a higher Qatari court.
November 16: Arindam Bagchi, spokesperson for the External Affairs Ministry, reported progress in the appeal process, expressing optimism about a favorable outcome from Qatar.
November 26: The Qatari court accepted India’s appeal against the death penalty, indicating that a thorough examination of the case was underway.
December 2023: During the COP28 summit in Dubai on December 1, Prime Minister Narendra Modi engaged with Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. This interaction potentially influenced a shift in the Qatari authorities’ stance on the death sentence case.
December 3: Two days after the meeting between PM Modi and Al Thani, the Indian ambassador to Qatar, Vipul, gained consular access to the eight Indians in prison.
December 28: An appellate court in Qatar commuted the death sentence of the eight Indian veterans, altering the punishment to imprisonment.
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