New Delhi:

Navy Chief Admiral Hari Kumar today said that the Centre is making “every effort” to secure the release of eight Navy veterans who have been handed death penalty in Qatar.

“Every effort is being made by the government to ensure we take up through the legal course and we get relief for our personnel,” he said.

Foreign Minister S Jaishankar today met with the families of eight former Indian Navy personnel. Mr Jaishankar said India will “continue to make all efforts to secure their release.

“Met this morning with the families of the 8 Indians detained in Qatar. Stressed that Government attaches the highest importance to the case. Fully share the concerns and pain of the families. Underlined that Government will continue to make all efforts to secure their release. Will coordinate closely with the families in that regard,” he said on X – formerly known as Twitter.

Met this morning with the families of the 8 Indians detained in Qatar.

Stressed that Government attaches the highest importance to the case. Fully share the concerns and pain of the families.

Underlined that Government will continue to make all efforts to secure their release.…

— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) October 30, 2023

The men, including decorated officers who once commanded major Indian warships, were working for Dahra Global Technologies and Consultancy Services, a private firm that provided training and related services to Qatar’s armed forces.

Sources said some of them were working on a highly sensitive project — Italian technology-based midget submarines with stealth characteristics.

Reports claim the eight Navy veterans have been accused of spying.

The Ministry of External Affairs had earlier said it was shocked by the verdict and would take up the issue with Qatari authorities. “We are deeply shocked by the verdict of death penalty and are awaiting the detailed judgement. We are in touch with the family members and the legal team, and we are exploring all legal options,” the ministry had said.

Those sentenced are Capt Navtej Singh Gill, Capt Birendra Kumar Verma, Capt Saurabh Vasisht, Cdr Amit Nagpal, Cdr Purnendu Tiwari, Cdr Sugunakar Pakala, Cdr Sanjeev Gupta and Sailor Ragesh.

New Delhi:

With eight former Indian Navy personnel being handed death penalty in Qatar, the Congress on Thursday said it expects that the Centre will use its diplomatic and political leverage with the Qatar government to ensure that the Indians have full recourse to appeals and also do the utmost to get them released.

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.

In its reaction, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) described the verdict as “deeply” shocking and said that it is attaching “high importance” to this case as well as exploring all legal options.

In a post on X, Congress general secretary, communications, Jairam Ramesh said, “The Indian National Congress has noted with the greatest anguish, distress and shock the most disturbing developments in Qatar regarding 8 former officers of the Indian Navy.” “It (the Congress) hopes and expects that the Govt of India will use its diplomatic and political leverage with the Qatar government to the maximum to ensure that the officers have full recourse to appeals and also do the utmost to get them released at the earliest,” Jairam Ramesh said.

The MEA has said it will continue to extend all consular and legal assistance to the Indians.

“We attach high importance to this case, and have been following it closely. We will continue to extend all consular and legal assistance. We will also take up the verdict with Qatari authorities,” it said in a statement.

“Due to the confidential nature of proceedings of this case, it would not be appropriate to make any further comment at this juncture,” it added.

India’s ambassador to Qatar met the men in prison on October 1 after being granted consular access. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)