A day before the arrival of the Qatari Emir to India for an important visit, the seven former Indian Navy officials who returned last year after being imprisoned for nearly 18 months in Doha, have called for the repatriation of the last remaining Indian who is stuck in the Gulf sheikhdom.
Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani is scheduled to reach New Delhi on Monday (February 17, 2025) ahead of an important summit of five Arab States in Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh where U.S. President Donald Trump’s Gaza formula will be in focus as Qatar continues to play an important role in the Israel-Palestine crisis.
“As India awaits the arrival of HH the Amir of Qatar on his State visit, we look forward to a constructive deliberation to facilitate the return of our colleague, viz, Cdr Purnendu Tiwary from Qatar. This would help bring in closure while aiding a reunion of Cdr Purnendu Tiwary with his family, especially with his aged mother,” a statement issued by the seven former naval officers stated on Sunday, February 16, 2025.
The ordeal of the eight former Indian Navy officials began in August 2022 when Qatari authorities arrested them. Neither India nor Qatar revealed the precise charges against the officials who were employed with Dahra Global, a company that specialised in supplying defence and security-related items to the Government of Qatar. Subsequently, the men were given death sentence in October 2023. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had described the death penalty as “deeply shocking” and subsequently appealed for reconsideration.
Qatar granted consular access to the men and in December 2023, the death sentence was commuted to imprisonment of varying timespan. Captain Navtej Singh Gill, Captain Saurabh Vasisht, Captain Birendra Kumar Verma, Commander Sugunakar Pakala, Commander Sanjeev Gupta, Commander Amit Nagpal, and Sailor Ragesh returned in February 2024, just days before Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid a visit to Qatar. The eighth person Commander Purnendu Tiwary remained in Doha.
Sheikh Tamim’s India visit comes in the backdrop of growing energy trade between India and Qatar and strong people-to-people relations.
Published – February 16, 2025 10:50 pm IST
