Govt making all efforts to bring back eight ex-navy personnel from Qatar, says Navy chief

Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar on Friday said the government is putting all-out efforts to bring back eight former naval personnel from Qatar, who were handed death sentence by a Qatari court. We are working closely to ensure that their interests are looked after, Admiral Kumar said at a media briefing. The government of India is putting all-out efforts to ensure they are brought back, he said.

On October 26, the Court of First Instance in Qatar issued a death sentence to Indian nationals, a decision that India has strongly condemned, describing it as profoundly shocking. India has expressed its commitment to exploring all available legal avenues in response to this ruling. The legal team representing the detained Indian individuals has already filed an appeal against the death sentence, and the higher court in Qatar has accepted the plea for review. The individuals, employed by the private company Al Dahra, were apprehended in August the previous year on charges reportedly related to espionage.

Neither the Qatari authorities nor New Delhi made the charges against the Indian nationals public. In its reaction to the ruling by the Qatari court, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) last month said that it is attaching high importance to this case and is exploring all legal options.