The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) of India confirmed on Monday the release of eight Indian navy veterans who were detailed in Qatar for alleged espionage. The eight servicemen had been working for the Doha-based Dahra Global company when they were detained in 2022 on spying charges.
The MEA released the following statement regarding the situation:
“The Government of India welcomes the release of eight Indian nationals working for the Dahra Global company who were detained in Qatar. 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.”
Commander Purnendu Tiwari, who is not yet in India, is expected to return soon. The individuals were identified as Captain Navtej Singh Gill, Captain Saurabh Vasisht, Captain Birendra Kumar Verma, Commander Amit Nagpal, Commander Sugunakar Pakala, Commander Sanjeev Gupta, Commander Purnendu Tiwari, and Sailor Ragesh. They were charged with spying for Israel, although the exact charges were kept under wraps and were apprehended in August 2022.
In October 2023, the Qatari Court of First Instance sentenced all eight veterans to death. However, these sentences were later commuted in December 2023 by the Court of Appeal of Qatar to prison terms ranging from three to 25 years. In January 2024, the MEA announced a 60-day appeals window for the prison terms.
Qatar is home to around 746,000 Indian expatriates, making up roughly 25% of the total population of the country. The two nations have maintained substantial cooperation across multiple sectors and regular bilateral visits.