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The Court of Appeal has presently reduced the death sentences of the eight former Indian Navy personnel.
NEW DELHI: The Court of Appeal has presently reduced the death sentences of the eight former Indian Navy personnel, who were arrested on espionage charges in the Dahra Global case, on Thursday.
Following the verdict, the Ministry of External Affairs said, “We have noted the verdict today of the Court of Appeal of Qatar in the Dahra Global case, in which the sentences have been reduced.”
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The individuals were employed by private company Dahra Global to oversee the integration of the Italian U212 stealth submarines into the Qatari Emiri Naval Force. The individuals were identified as Captain Saurabh Vasisht, Commander Purnendu Tiwari, Captain Birendra Kumar Verma, Commander Sugunakar Pakala, Commander Sanjeev Gupta, Captain Navtej Singh Gill, Commander Amit Nagpal, and Sailor Ragesh.
The specific details of the allegations remain undisclosed to the public at this time.
Qatar court commutes death sentences to eight former India Navy officials, punishment reduced to jail terms.
We hope they will set free as soon as possible @IndEmbDoha #Qatarhttps://t.co/VwfUSPiEc5
— TIger NS (@TIgerNS3) December 28, 2023
Timeline of Events:
August 30, 2022:
The eight individuals were arrested on undeclared charges and placed in solitary confinement.
October 1, 2022:
India’s Ambassador in Doha, Deepak Mittal, and Deputy Head of Mission, Sandeep Kumar, met the arrested naval veterans.
October 3, 2022
Initially, consular access was permitted, and CEO Khamis al-Ajmi of Dahra Global sought to secure the release of his officials. However, they ended up getting arrested.
The CEO spent two months in solitary confinement before being granted bail.
March 1, 2023
The final among several bail pleas submitted on behalf of the veterans was denied.
March 25, 2023
The eight men faced formal charges that were filed against them.
March 29, 2023:
The trial under Qatari law began, and charges were filed against the eight men.
May 30, 2023:
Dahra Global ceased its operations in Doha, resulting in the return of all former employees, mainly Indians, to their home countries.
August 4, 2023:
There was a positive development for the arrested individuals as they were transferred from solitary confinement to a jail ward. It was here that they were accommodated with their colleagues, with two men sharing each cell.
October 26, 2023:
All eight men received a death sentence from the court.
In late October to early November, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met with the family members of the convicted individuals, assuring them that the government would exert every possible effort to secure their release.
November 7, 2023:
India obtained another round of consular access to the men.
November 9, 2023:
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced filing an appeal, expressing confidence in the legal team’s possession of details related to the charges.
December 28, 2023:
The Qatar Court of Appeals commuted the death sentence, leading to relief for the Indian Navy personnel.
Diplomatic efforts and government stance:
The MEA has been actively monitoring the situation, providing consular and legal assistance to the arrested sailors.
The ministry had engaged at various diplomatic and political levels, instating that like any country, Qatar has its own judicial processes.
The Indian government’s persistent efforts have yielded positive results, with the court commuting the death sentence.
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The MEA affirmed its commitment to continue supporting the personnel, stating, “We have stood by them since the beginning of the matter and will continue to extend all consular and legal assistance.”
The focus is now on the possibility of repatriation of the Indian Navy personnel to India.
