'Govt making all-out efforts to bring back Navy men on death row in Qatar'

The government is making all-out efforts to bring back eight former naval personnel from Qatar, who were handed death sentences by a Qatari court, Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar said on Friday.

"There is total support and effort being put in by the government," he said.

The Navy veterans were on October 26 sentenced to death by Qatar's Court of First Instance. India described the ruling as "deeply" shocking and vowed to explore all legal options.

An appeal has already been filed against the death sentence and a higher court in Qatar has admitted the plea.

"The ex-naval officers in Qatar are veterans.... And we are interested in ensuring that their welfare is taken care of. I want to reassure you that the Indian government is putting all-out efforts to ensure that they are brought back," Kumar said this while responding to a question at a media briefing.

 

The Indian nationals, who worked with private company Al Dahra, were arrested in August last year reportedly in a case of alleged espionage.

Neither the Qatari authorities nor New Delhi made the charges against the Indian nationals public.

In its reaction to the ruling by the Qatari court, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said last month that it is attaching "high importance" to the case and exploring all legal options.

The charges were filed against the eight Indian Navy veterans on March 25 and they were tried under Qatari law.

All the former officers had "unblemished stints" of up to 20 years in the Indian Navy and held important positions, including that of instructors in the force, former military officials had said.

In May, Al-Dahra Global closed its operations in Doha and all those working there (primarily Indians) have since returned home.

In the past, the Navy had taken up the case of the former naval personnel with the top brass of the government for securing their release.