Qatar frees 8 Indian Navy veterans

New Delhi: Qatar has released eight jailed former Indian Navy personnel and seven of them returned home on Monday, in what is seen as a major diplomatic victory for India that came nearly three-and-half months after a Qatari court handed them death sentence that was subsequently commuted to varying jail terms.

Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself constantly supervised all the developments in the case and has never shied away from any initiatives that would ensure the return of the Indians.

The seven Indian nationals reached Delhi by a private airline at around 2:35 am. At a media briefing, the Foreign Secretary announced that Modi will travel to Qatari capital Doha on Wednesday after concluding his two-day trip to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) but indicated that the trip was long conceived.

The Foreign Secretary, without elaborating, said New Delhi continues to work with the Qatari government to ensure the return of the eighth Indian quickly.

In an early morning statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said India appreciates the decision by the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani for enabling the release and homecoming of the Indians.

It is learnt that the Emir ordered the release of the eight Indians. The Navy veterans apparently faced charges of espionage, but neither the Qatari authorities nor New Delhi made the charges against them public.