Qatar sentences 8 Indian ex-NAVY officials to death on espionage charges

Qatar sentences 8 Indian ex-NAVY officials to death on espionage charges!

According to media reports, the eight former officers of the Indian Navy were sentenced to death by a court in Qatar Thursday on charges that have not been made public

Eight former Indian NAVY officials were arrested by Qatari intelligence services in Doha on August 30, 2022, on the charges of espionage.

As reported, the Indian NAVY officials, who were working on a submarine project, were caught on charges of spying for Israel.

The accused have been identified as working for the Indian intelligence agency, RAW. They were reportedly caught carrying out espionage activities in Qatar.

The eight former Indian Navy officers arrested include Commander Purnendu Tiwari, Commander Navtej Singh Gill, Commander Birendra Kumar Verma, Commander Sugunakar Pakala, Commander Sanjeev Gupta, Commander Amit Nagpal, Captain Saurab Vasisht and Captain Rajesh Gopakumar.

According to Qatar’s investigative agency, these officials provided Israel with details of Qatar’s secret program to buy advanced submarines from Italy.

The chief executive officer of a private defense company and the head of international military operations of Qatar had also been arrested in the same case.

Acknowledging the court’s decision, India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), in a statement said, “We have initial information that the Court of First Instance of Qatar has today passed a judgment in the case involving eight Indian employees of Al Dahra company.”

“We are deeply shocked by the verdict of the death penalty and are awaiting the detailed judgment. We are in touch with the family members and the legal team, and we are exploring all legal options,” it added.