BuzzBytes 24 November 2023:
In a positive development, a Qatar court has accepted India’s appeal against the death penalty imposed on eight former Indian Navy personnel last month in an alleged espionage case. The court will now set a hearing date after a thorough examination of the appeal.
The eight individuals were arrested in August 2022 by Qatar’s intelligence agency on charges of spying. The specific charges have not been made public by Qatari authorities. Despite several rejected bail petitions, the Indian Navy veterans, including Commander Purnendu Tiwari, Commander Sugunakar Pakala, and others, were sentenced last month by the Court of First Instance in Qatar.
Indian authorities, granted consular access, have been actively working to secure the release of the detained Navy veterans. All of these former officers have an exemplary service record of up to 20 years in the Indian Navy, holding important positions, including instructors.
The decision to spare them from the death penalty comes as a relief, and efforts are ongoing to bring them back to India. Meetu Bhargava, sister of one of the detained officers, had earlier appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for intervention, emphasizing the urgent need to bring these individuals back to India.
