How did Modi government get such a big diplomatic victory? Who is the former Indian Navy officer whose death sentence was commuted by Qatar?

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on December 28 said that a Qatari court has commuted the death sentences of eight former Indian Navy officers. Although a statement from the ministry said his sentence had been reduced, the new quantum of the sentence is still not known. The Ministry of External Affairs said the Indian Ambassador to Qatar and other officials were present in the Qatari court along with family members of the individuals during the hearing. We are also in touch with the legal team as well as family members to decide on the next steps. Eight former Indian Navy officers were sentenced to death by a Qatar court on October 26. India had then filed an appeal in an appellate court in Qatar, which was accepted last month.

Who is a former naval officer?

These former naval officers include some of the most highly respected personnel who once commanded Indian warships. Many of these officers retired from the Indian Navy with the rank of Commander. The eight veterans have been identified as Captain Navtej Singh Gill, Captain Saurabh Vashishtha, Captain Birendra Kumar Verma, Commander Poornendu Tiwari, Commander Sanjeev Gupta, Commander Sugunakar Pakala, Commander Amit Nagpal and Sailor Ragesh Gopkumar. These former naval officers were employed by a Qatari company called Dahra Global Technologies and Consultancy Services to provide training and services such as logistics and equipment maintenance to the Emirati Navy of Qatar. He was working in the company for the last four-six years. One of the officers sentenced to death – Commander Purnendu Tiwari (retd) – was reportedly the managing director of the firm. In 2019, he was also honored with the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award by former President of India Ram Nath Kovind. Tiwari’s profile on the company’s website says that when he was in the Indian Navy, he commanded a minesweeper and a large amphibious warfare ship. The website of Dahra Global Technologies and Consultancy Services, which contained information about its top employees, including the arrested personnel, no longer exists. According to the newspaper, the firm’s chief executive officer (CEO), Khamis Al Ajami, is a retired squadron leader of the Royal Oman Air Force. Indian Ambassador to Qatar Deepak Mittal and even his predecessor have visited the company’s facilities and praised its work to strengthen ties between India and Qatar.

where did you work

These eight former naval officers worked in Qatar’s Al Dahra Global Technology and Consultancy Service. This is a defense service provider company. Its job is to provide training to the soldiers. This company is owned by a person from Oman. The owner of the company is Khamis Al Ajami, a retired squadron leader of the Royal Oman Air Force. The Dahra website featured testimonials from Kumaran and Deepak Mittal, ambassador serving at the Indian Embassy in Doha, praising the company’s work in furthering good relations between the two countries. Let us tell you that most of the arrested people were working in the company for four to six years.

when were you arrested

On 30 August 2022, eight former naval officers were picked up by Qatar’s intelligence agency the State Security Bureau. According to the Indian Express, the Indian Embassy in Doha apparently became aware of the arrest only in mid-September. The detained officers were allowed to speak to their families by phone in late September, while in early October, an official from the Indian Embassy visited them. The newspaper had earlier reported that the next consular access would be granted in the first week of November. The incident came as a surprise as India and Qatar have friendly relations and have also conducted joint naval exercises. The Ministry of External Affairs had said that the Indian Embassy in Doha is making every possible effort for the early release and repatriation of the eight detained former marines. “We are aware of the detention of eight Indian nationals, who we understand were working for a private company in Qatar,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi told reporters. He said the Indian Embassy is in touch with Qatari authorities and mission officials have been granted consular access and have inquired about the well-being of the personnel last month.

The first hearing of his case began in March this year. His bail petitions were rejected several times and Qatari authorities extended his detention. All eight former officers were previously in solitary confinement. However, in August this year, he was transferred to cells in Doha shared by two officers each. Following the death penalty verdict in October, India had said it was deeply shocked and would explore all legal options. India’s ambassador to Qatar had visited the navy veterans in jail earlier this month.

what are the allegations

Neither India nor Qatar have specified charges against them. According to Reuters and the Financial Times, the former Indian Navy personnel were accused of spying for Israel. However, the Foreign Ministry said the full nature of the allegations was not entirely clear. Family sources of the former naval officers had earlier told The Indian Express that they were not informed about the formal charges by Qatari authorities or Indian authorities. According to the English daily, the firm’s chief executive officer (CEO), Khamis Al Ajami, is a retired squadron leader of the Royal Oman Air Force. Indian Ambassador to Qatar Deepak Mittal and even his predecessor have visited the company’s facilities and appreciated its work to strengthen ties between India and Qatar.

Family members rejected the allegations

The families of these veterans have denied the allegations of espionage. He told NDTV that the former official was not involved in spying for Israel. He went on to build the Qatari Navy and build up the security of that country. They can never spy. There is no evidence for the allegations. Dr Mitu Bhargava, sister of retired commander Purnendu Tiwari, had brought this incident to light on October 27 by seeking help from Modi, the Ministry of External Affairs and other cabinet ministers. He had then said on X that these eight veterans have been kept in illegal detention/detention for 57 days. On November 6, the same Twitter account again took to the social media platform and wrote, If the Indian government really cares about its defense personnel then they need to take immediate, swift action and follow through because today is the 69th anniversary of illegal solitary confinement. It’s day.