India on Friday said its next steps in the case relating to eight former Indian Navy personnel will be decided after examining the ruling of a Qatari court and discussions with the legal team handling the matter.
Qatar's Court of Appeals has commuted the death sentences handed out to the Navy veterans by another court earlier.
"The interests of Indians and their family members is our foremost concern," Ministry External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said at a media briefing. "We will be discussing the next possible steps with the legal team and the family members," he added. Bagchi said he would not like to say anything more as the matter is sensitive.
The Indian nationals, who were working with Doha-based Al Dahra Global Technologies, were taken into custody in August 2022 in a case of alleged espionage. While the charges against them were not made public by Qatari authorities, they were sentenced to death by the Gulf country's Court of First Instance in October this year.
The private firm provided training and other services to Qatar's armed forces and security agencies. India had moved the Court of Appeal in Qatar against the death sentence last month.
Commuting of the death sentence by an appellate court in Qatar comes weeks after Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, on the side-lines of CoP28 summit in Dubai. Details of the conversation were never made public, but there was speculation this issue was raised. After the meeting on December 1, Modi said they discussed the well-being of the Indian community in Qatar.
The eight Indians were awarded death penalty in October reportedly on charges of espionage. The eight Indians are Purnendu Tiwari, Sugunakar Pakala, Amit Nagpal, and Sanjeev Gupta, who are Commanders, and Navtej Singh Gill, Birendra Kumar Verma, and Saurabh Vasisht, who are Captains. The eight is Sailor Ragesh Gopakumar.
"We have noted the verdict today of the Court of Appeal of Qatar in the Dahra Global case, in which the sentences have been reduced. The detailed judgement is awaited," ministry of external affairs (MEA)said in a statement here on Thursday.
"Our Ambassador to Qatar and other officials were present at the Court of Appeal today, along with family members. We have stood by them since the beginning of the matter, and we will continue to extend all consular and legal assistance. We will also continue to take up the matter with the Qatari authorities," it added.
Noting that a detailed judgment was awaited, the ministry said it was in close touch with the legal team as well as the family members to decide on the next steps. "Due to the confidential and sensitive nature of proceedings of this case, it would not be appropriate to make any further comment at this juncture," the MEA said.
