Lack of transparency in how eight former personnel of the Indian Navy have been tried in Qatar has undermined the faith of their families in the judicial process, Meetu Bhargava (54), sister of Commander Purnendu Tiwari (retired) who is among the eight on death row, told The Indian Express Sunday. She sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “personal intervention” to bring all eight Indians back, citing a shortage of time. After the news of the Qatari court decision broke Thursday, the toughest part for Bhargava was to inform her 85-year-old mother, the only surviving parent, about her brother’s death sentence. “She is very upset. She’s a heart patient,” Bhargava said over the phone. The families, she said, have met with the Navy Chief since Thursday and are likely to meet External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar soon. Bhargava, who lives in Gwalior, was the first relative of the eight Indians who came forward in October last year to seek the Centre’s help for their release. A year later, she feels it’s time for the Prime Minister to step in personally. “We have met the Defence Minister earlier. Last year, in Parliament, Jaishankar ji had said that this is a sensitive issue and that these men are our priority. But now it’s not the time for anybody else’s intervention. We don’t have much time left. We request and plead with our Honourable Prime Minister for his personal intervention to bring our eight veterans back. We cannot think of anyone else,” she said. “Qatar is a friendly country. They can repatriate them to another friendly country (India). We want all eight of our men back. Not just my brother, but all eight,” she said. “My brother is a senior citizen. He is 63 years old. He was awarded the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman in 2019. Why would he spy for Israel? Why would he do anything like this at his age?” she said. Qatar has not made the charges public, but there have been reports, including in the UK daily Financial Times, that the eight men had been charged with spying for Israel. “These are decorated naval veterans. They are innocent. It’s difficult to come to terms with what has happened. What impression will this leave on our youth?” Bhargava asked. Tiwari’s family had been in touch with him until recently and used to speak with him twice a week on Wednesdays and Sundays. “Today is Sunday; we are hopeful we’ll be able to speak to him. Whenever we talk to him, we encourage him to stay hopeful and positive so that he remains calm and composed. We tell him that the Indian government is with us. ‘You need not worry, and be strong,’ we tell him. He’s diabetic and has a heart issue,” she said, adding that Tiwari, immediately after his arrest, was put in solitary confinement. But he now has a cell partner. Asked if the family was aware of the exact charges that Tiwari faces, Bhargava said, “There’s a complete lack of transparency in the judicial process. Nothing is open. This undermines our faith in the legal system there. It has never been clear to us what charges they face. We only know that all eight face the same charges.” A navigation specialist from the executive branch of the Navy, Cdr Tiwari commanded INS Magar and was the fleet navigating officer of the Navy’s Eastern Fleet. He has also served on Rajput-class destroyers. After retirement, he trained Singapore naval personnel before moving to Qatar. He was the first Armed Forces veteran to receive the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman award. He was presented the honour in 2019 by then President Ramnath Kovind. Prior to his arrest last year, he was training personnel from the Qatari Navy. All eight Indian nationals, including Tiwari, were employees of Doha-based Dahra Global and were taken into custody in August 2022 in an alleged case of espionage. The specific charges against these Indian nationals have not been disclosed by Qatari authorities, but sources indicate that they were working in their private capacity with Dahra Global to oversee the induction of Italian small stealth submarines U2I2. The individuals arrested, apart from Tiwari, were identified as Captain Navtej Singh Gill, Captain Birendra Kumar Verma, Captain Saurabh Vasisht, Commander Amit Nagpal, Commander Sugunakar Pakala, Commander Sanjeev Gupta, and Sailor Ragesh, all ex-Indian Navy personnel employed by Dahra Global. In its reaction to the death sentence order, the Ministry of External Affairs said it is attaching “high importance” to this case and is exploring all legal options.
