The Qatar Court on Thursday announced death sentence for eight Indian Navy personnel who had been arrested in August last year on charges of spying on a submarine program on behalf of Israel. The verdict has been termed ‘deeply’ shocking by the Indian government.
The Indian nationals, all employees of Al Dahra Company ,were taken into custody in August last year in an alleged case of espionage. The charges against the Indian nationals were not made public by Qatari authorities.
ndia’s ambassador to Qatar met the men in prison on October 1 after being granted consular access.
The chief executive of Dahra Global traveled to Doha to try and get his officials released. But the newspaper says that he also found himself in solitary confinement for two months, before being released on bail.
Who were the eight Indian nationals?
Captain Navtej Singh Gill, Captain Saurabh Vashisht, Commander Purenendu Tiwari, Captain Birendra Kumar Verma, Commander Sugunakar Pakala, Commander Sanjeev Gupta, Commander Amit Nagpal and Sailor Ragesh.
Where did the eight Indian work?
The eight Indian nationals worked at Qatar’s Dahra Global Technologies and Consulting Services. It is a private company that offers training and various other services to the defense and security agencies of Qatar.
According to media reports, Dahra Global Technologies and consulting Services is a company advising on a Qatari program aimed at obtaining high-tech Italian-made submarines that could evade radar detection.
The company was shut down in May 2023, Al Jazeera reports. The company had employed as many as 75 Indian nationals, most of them being former Navy personnel.
Here is a timeline of events
ugust 2022
Qatari Authorities took former Indian naval officers into custody on unspecified charges. After months of detention, the Qatari authorities revealed that the eight former naval officers were spying on Qatar’s secret submarine program for Israel.
The incident came to limelight when the Indian Ministry for External Affairs (MEA) termed it a “high priority” issue.
September 2022
The first bail plea of the jailed Indian Officers was held a month after they were picked up and detained in solitary confinement. The plea was rejected
According to reports, New Dehli had consular access to the eight prisoners and has tried to secure their release, but has been told by Doha that evidence suggests the former officers passed on intelligence to Israel.
Qatari authorities have additionally claimed that they hold electronic evidence of the matter.
March 2023
The Indian nationals had their first trial in late March
June 2023
The second trial was conducted in June 2023, Al Jazeera reports.
October 2023
India’s ambassador to Qatar met the men in prison on October 1 after being granted consular access.
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said the seventh hearing in the case was held on October 3 and that India is following the proceedings in the “court of first instance”.
The eight Indian Navy Personnel were on 26 October handed the death penalty in Qatar by a local court.
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