Doha, 24 Nov: Frantic efforts by Indian authorities to save the lives of eight former Navy personnel, appear to be bearing fruits. A Qatar court has considered India’s appeal against the death penalty awarded to them for an alleged case of espionage. Qatar court has set a date for the hearing of the appeal.
The eight former Indian Navy personnel were arrested in August 2022 by Qatar Intelligence Agency, allegedly for spying. Their bail petitions were rejected several times. Although the charges against them were not publicised, the verdict against them was pronounced last month by the court. Indian authorities have been making efforts to secure their release.
Those arrested include Commander Purnendu Tiwari, Commander Sugunakar Pakala, Commander Amit Nagpal, Commander Sanjeev Gupta, Captain Navtej Singh Gill, Captain Birendra Kumar Verma, Captain Saurabh Vasisht, and sailor Ragesh Gopakumar.
