In a pivotal development, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has announced that India has secured consular access to the eight former Navy personnel who were sentenced to death in Qatar on espionage cahrges. MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi made this crucial announcement during a press conference held in New Delhi.
Arindam Bagchi informed the media that the Indian Ambassador to Qatar was able to meet with the detainees in prison on December 3, 2023. This development comes days after meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani on the sidelines of the COP28 summit
“You would have seen Prime Minister Modi meet Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad the Amir of Qatar in Dubai on the sidelines of COP28. They’ve had a good conversation on the overall bilateral relationship as well as in the well-being of the Indian community…,” he said.
Further, during the presser, Bagchi underscored India’s unwavering commitment to closely monitor the situation and provide comprehensive legal and consular assistance to the detained individuals. He also provided insight into the legal proceedings, revealing that there have been two recent hearings. These hearings took place on November 23 and 30, 2023. He added, the next hearing is coming up soon.
It is pertinent to note that the detained Indian nationals, who were all employees of a Doha-based company, were taken into custody in August 2022. Despite the gravity of the charges they face, Qatari authorities have not publicly disclosed the specific allegations. However, a report in the Financial Times has suggested that the eight Indians stand accused of espionage on behalf of Israel.
The individuals in detention have been identified as 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. All of them are former Indian Navy personnel who were employed by Dahra Global.
