Qatar Releases Indian Navy Veterans: Prime Minister Narendra Modi “personally monitored all movements” in the issue, the foreign secretary stated.
Seven of the eight Indian Navy veterans who returned to India on Monday morning were unaware of their impending release, according to NDTV, citing sources. Qatar has freed eight former Indian Navy personnel after reducing their death sentences, according to the ministry of external affairs, citing the Qatari emir’s decision more than 18 months after the arrest strained diplomatic relations.
Former Indian Navy personnel include Captain Navtej Singh Gill, Captain Saurabh Vashisht, Commander Purenendu Tiwari, Captain Birendra Kumar Verma, Commander Sugunakar Pakala, Commander Sanjeev Gupta, Commander Amit Nagpal, and Sailor Ragesh. All of these former Navy commanders had “unblemished stints” of up to 20 years with the Indian Navy. All of the former Navy commanders had “unblemished stints” of up to 20 years in the Indian Navy and had held critical posts such as instructors, according to former military sources, as reported by news agency PTI. According to the news agency, among these veterans, Captain Gill received the President’s Gold Medal for Excellence after graduating from the Naval Academy and then serving as an instructor at the Defense Services Staff College in Wellington, Tamil Nadu.
