Karachi, In a significant development, the Court of Appeal in Qatar has reportedly reduced the death sentences previously handed down to eight former Indian Navy personnel. These individuals were convicted last month in a high-profile espionage case, with the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirming the latest court decision.

According to Kashmir Media Service, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs stated that the Court of Appeal of Qatar had lessened the death sentences in the Dahra Global case. However, the specific details of the court’s decision remain undisclosed, with a detailed judgment still awaited.

The former Indian Navy officials, who were sentenced by Qatar’s Court of First Instance on October 26, include Commander Purnendu Tiwari, Commander Sugunakar Pakala, Commander Sanjeev Gupta, Captain Navtej Singh Gill, Captain Birendra Kumar Verma, Captain Saurabh Vasisht, Commander Amit Nagpal, and Sailor Ragesh Gopakumar. Notably, Commander Purnendu Tiwari was a recipient of the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award in 2019, conferred by the then Indian President, Ram Nath Kovind.

These officers were detained since August 2022 on charges of espionage, specifically for allegedly spying for Israel. Qatar had accused them of involvement in international terrorism, stating that they were senior officers of the Indian Navy engaged in spying and Indian state-sponsored, funded, and backed terrorism. They were purportedly operating under the guise of Al Dahra Global Technologies and Consultancy Services, a private firm owned by an Oman Air Force officer. This company provided training and other services to Qatar’s armed forces and security agencies.

The arrests and subsequent legal actions were prompted by the activities of these Indian Navy officers, which raised concerns among Qatar’s law enforcement agencies. The initial news of their arrest in Doha was brought to public attention through a social media post by Dr. Meetu Bhargava in October, two months after the actual arrest.

Local officials in Qatar had consistently maintained that the Indian Navy officers were engaged in terrorism, actively involved in spying, and using Qatari soil for Indian state-funded, state-sponsored, and state-backed terrorism in other countries.