The Narendra Modi-led Central Government announced early this morning about release of eight Indian Navy veterans, previously jailed in Qatar on spying charges. Seven of them have already returned to Bharat after enduring an ordeal for 18 months in the Middle-Eastern country.
In a statement, the Foreign ministry expressed gratitude towards the Amir of the State of Qatar for facilitating the release and repatriation of the Indian nationals, who were employed by the Dahra Global company.
The veterans, unaware of their impending release, were immediately escorted by embassy officials after being freed, according to sources. They boarded an IndiGo flight and arrived back in Bharat after 2 am.
The individuals, including 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, had been detained since their arrest in August 2022.
Their arrest stemmed from their employment with Dahra Global and involvement in assisting the introduction of Italian U212 stealth submarines into the Qatari Emiri Naval Force.
Initially sentenced to death by a Qatari court on October 26, 2023, their capital punishment was commuted in December, following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s discussions with Qatar’s Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani during the COP28 summit in Dubai.
Now safely back in Bharat, the Navy veterans expressed gratitude towards PM Modi and the Centre for their release.
“We are very happy that we are back in Bharat, safely. Definitely, we would like to thank PM Modi as this was only possible because of his personal intervention,” said one of them.
“We waited almost for 18 months to be back in Bharat. 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 Indian Government from the bottom of our hearts for every effort that has been made and this day won’t have been possible without those efforts,” echoed another.
