An Indian national, who remained stranded in Qatar with seven colleagues for approximately two and a half weeks, will be repatriated once specific requirements are met, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). The other seven individuals, former Indian Navy personnel, had already returned to India on February 12 following their release by Qatar.
Qatar's Court of First Instance handed down death sentences to the Navy veterans on October 26 last year. However, the Court of Appeal in the Gulf country later reduced the capital punishment on December 28, instead sentencing them to jail terms of varying durations. While the former Indian Navy personnel allegedly faced charges of espionage, neither the Qatari authorities nor New Delhi disclosed the specific charges against them publicly.
As you know, all eight Indian nationals who were involved in the Al-Dahra Global case have been released. Seven of them have returned to India, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at his weekly media briefing in Delhi.
The eighth Indian national has certain requirements to fulfill. He will return as and when those are completed,” he said, replying to a question. During his recent visit to Qatar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his "deep appreciation" to Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani for the release of the eight Indian nationals.