Qatar has granted freedom to eight former Indian Navy personnel, who were sentenced to death last October and subsequently had their sentences commuted to varying jail terms.
Seven of them have already returned home, marking a significant development for the ruling BJP-led centre ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.
India has expressed gratitude to the Emir of Qatar for facilitating the release and repatriation of these individuals, who were arrested in August 2022, according to a statement from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) issued on Monday.
While the exact charges against the former Navy personnel, who were employed by the Dahra Global company, were not disclosed by either Qatari authorities or New Delhi, the Indian government has welcomed their release.
The individuals released have been identified as Captains (retired) Navtej Gill and Saurabh Vasisht, Commanders (retired) Purnendu Tiwari, Amit Nagpal, SK Gupta, BK Verma, and Sugunakar Pakala, along with sailor Ragesh.
Sources familiar with the matter revealed that Commander Tiwari has chosen to remain in Doha for the time being but is expected to return to India shortly.
Initially sentenced to death by Qatar's Court of First Instance on October 26, the Navy veterans had their punishment commuted by the Court of Appeal on December 28, with jail terms ranging from three to 25 years.
The Court of Appeal had granted a 60-day window for appealing against these sentences.
Efforts for their release saw diplomatic interventions, including discussions between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani during the COP28 Summit in Dubai last December. National Security Adviser Ajit Doval also played a pivotal role in negotiations with Qatari authorities.
The charges against the Indian navy veterans, filed on March 25, 2023, were tried under Qatari law. Notably, the company they worked for, Al-Dhara Global, ceased operations in Doha in May last year, prompting many of its employees, mostly Indians, to return home.
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