Its ability of Modi govt to protect citizens at all cost: Anurag Thakur after Qatar releases eight Navy veterans

Anurag Thakur. File Pic

After Qatar released eight jailed former Indian Navy personnel, of which seven have arrived in India on Monday, Union Minister Anurag Thakur said that it is the ability of Modi government to protect all its citizens.

In a major diplomatic triumph for India, nearly three-and-a-half months after the eight Navy personnel were handed down death sentences in a case of suspected espionage, they were released by Qatar government. The Navy veterans were on October 26 given death sentences by Qatar's Court of First Instance.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) informed on Monday that seven of the eight Navy veterans who were facing the death row have returned to India in the early hours.

Union Minister Anurag Thakur on Monday posted on X, "This homecoming of our Navy veterans is a moment of happiness and this further strengthens our belief in the seriousness and ability of the Modi government to protect its citizens at any cost."

"Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi means the guarantee of life, limb and liberty of the people of India across the globe," he said, adding that the veterans were detained "under some false charges".

Former Indian Navy personnel who landed at the Delhi airport on Monday morning raised chants of "Bharat Mata ki Jai" and lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi's personal intervention in their case, ANI reported. "Their happiness could not be contained. They said that they wouldn't have been freed had it for the sustained diplomatic efforts at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's behest to secure their release", ANI report added.

The men- Captain Navtej Singh Gill, Captain Saurabh Vasisht, Commander Purnendu Tiwari, Captain Birendra Kumar Verma, Commander Sugunakar Pakala, Commander Sanjeev Gupta, Commander Amit Nagpal and Sailor Ragesh- were detained in August 2022 in an alleged case of espionage. The Indian nationals worked with the private company Al Dahra.

The Court of Appeal in Qatar on December 28 commuted the capital punishment and sentenced them to jail terms for varying durations. Neither the Qatari authorities nor New Delhi made the charges against the Indian nationals public.

The charges were filed against the eight Indian Navy veterans on March 25 last year and they were tried under Qatari law. After the Court of Appeal commuted the death sentence, the Indian nationals were given 60 days to appeal against the order of their jail terms.

(With inputs from PTI and ANI)