PM Modi To Visit Qatar As Jailed Indians Return Home

On the day eight jailed Indian nationals were released by Qatar, an announcement has come from the Ministry of External Affairs that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be visiting the Gulf Nation on February 14.

The PM will travel to the Qatari capital Doha after his two-day visit to the United Arab Emirates. Earlier, the Gulf nation released eight jailed former Indian naval personnel. Seven of them returned to India on Monday morning.

Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said Prime Minister Modi had personally supervised developments in the case. "We are gratified by Qatar's decision to release the Indians," he said.

PM Modi and Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Emir of Qatar, will hold wide-ranging talks to further expand bilateral ties, the foreign secretary said.

Although the eight individuals purportedly faced espionage charges, neither Qatari authorities nor New Delhi disclosed the specific charges against them.

"Seven out of the eight of them have returned to India. We appreciate the decision by the Amir of the State of Qatar to enable the release and home-coming of these nationals," a statement from the Ministry of External Affairs said.

The eight nationals are: Captains (retired) Navtej Gill and Saurabh Vasisht, Commanders (retired) Purnendu Tiwari, Amit Nagpal, SK Gupta, BK Verma, and Sugunakar Pakala, and sailor Ragesh.

In December 2023, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani during the COP28 Summit in Dubai and the talks had focussed on the welfare of the Indian expatriate community in Qatar.

Reports indicate that National Security Adviser Ajit Doval played a key in the negotiations with Qatari authorities to facilitate the release of the Indian nationals.

The charges were officially brought against the eight Indian Navy veterans on March 25 of the preceding year, and they underwent trial according to Qatari law.