Qatar frees 8 former Indian Navy officials held on spying charges; 7 fly back home

In a huge diplomatic win for India, Qatar has released eight Indian ex-naval officers who were imprisoned for spying charges. 

Though they were sentenced to death, the sentences were commuted in December following India's intervention.

The eight Indian nationals have been identified as Captain Navtej Singh Gill, Captain Saurabh Vasisht, Commander Purnendu Tiwari, Captain Birendra Kumar Verma, Commander Sugunakar Pakala, Commander Sanjeev Gupta, Commander Amit Nagpal, and Sailor Ragesh. 

They were working on a submarine project with a private company for the Qatari authorities and were arrested in 2022. 

Neither the Qatar nor the Indian authorities made public the charges faced by the Indians.

On October 26, 2023, all eight of them were sentenced to death. India said it was "deeply shocked" by the verdict and was exploring all legal options. 

Their sentences were commuted two months later due to India's intervention. The MEA statement then read that the country "will continue to extend all consular and legal assistance."

In December, Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised the case with Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad as the two leaders met in Dubai on the sidelines of the CoP28 summit, the government said on Thursday.

Meanwhile, footage from Delhi International Airport showed the elated Naval officials returning home. 

All seven of them praised the Indian government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the efforts to free them and chanted 'Bharat Mata ki jai' on their arrival home.

Another released former naval officer hailed the diplomatic efforts of the India Government.