Eight Indian Navy personnel have been in Qatari jail since August final yr (File).
New Delhi:
Eight ex-Navy personnel sentenced to dying by a Qatar court docket in October – for costs not but identified – will face commuted punishments, the Indian authorities mentioned this afternoon. Details in regards to the diminished phrases – almost definitely heavy jail time – are unclear because the judgement has not but been launched.Â
The Indian authorities has mentioned it’s in “close touch with the legal team, as well as family members, to decide on the next steps”. “We have stood by them since the beginning, and we will continue to extend all consular and legal assistance. We will also continue to take up the matter with Qatari authorities.”
The arrested personnel are Purnendu Tiwari, Sugunakar Pakala, Amit Nagpal, and Sanjeev Gupta, who’re Commanders, and Navtej Singh Gill, Birendra Kumar Verma, and Saurabh Vasisht, who’re Captains. The eight is Sailor Ragesh Gopakumar. The costs in opposition to them had been by no means made public.
Several of them are highly-decorated navy personnel who as soon as commanded Indian warships, and had been working for a personal agency offering coaching and associated companies to Qatar’s armed forces.
Families of the eight spoke to NDTV and flatly denied the spying allegations.
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They had been “not engaged in espionage for Israel”, the households mentioned. “They went to build the Qatari Navy and build that nation’s security. They could never spy. There are no proof of allegations…”
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The subsequent steps on this case are unclear now however, beneath the phrases of a 2015 settlement, “Indian prisoners convicted in Qatar can be brought back to India to serve the remaining part of their sentence”. There is the same provision for Qatari residents convicted in India.
All eight have been in jail since August final yr and had been handed dying sentences on October 26, after a short trial in March. Bail was denied quite a few instances throughout their incarceration and trial.
An attraction was instantly lodged and, final month, the Qatari court docket accepted that attraction. The eight had been working for Dahra Global Technologies and Consultancy Services when arrested.
READ |Â Qatar Accepts India’s Appeal Against Death Penalty To 8 Navy Veterans
Commuting of the dying sentence comes weeks after Prime Minister Narendra Modi met the Qatari ruler, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, on the side-lines of CoP28 summit in Dubai.
READ |Â Indian Envoy Meets 8 Navy Veterans On Death Row In Qatar“
Details of the conversation were never made public, but there was speculation this issue was raised.
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