Qatar: While the eight ex-Indian Navy men are languishing in Qatar jail for the past 72 days, India’s efforts to seek their release have borne no fruit. Delhi dispatched a senior official to Doha in October end to secure the release of the eight men from Qatari jail but nothing positive materialized. It is reported that the eight men are in solitary confinement.
Social media is flooded with appeals to the Prime Minister and Cabinet ministers to resolve the issue and speed up efforts for their release.
According to reports, the Indian government has been in touch with Qatari authorities in this regard but nothing fruitful has come out of it so far.
Hopes dashed
Things looked positive last week and it was expected that a second consular visit will be granted and that the men might be released soon, but all hopes were belied.
The eight men were working at Dahra Global Technologies and Consultancy Services. The company trains the Qatari Emiri Navy and provides logistics services and equipment maintenance. The Indians were picked up on August 30 by the State Security Bureau, Qatar’s intelligence agency, but the Indian embassy in Doha became aware of the arrest only in mid-September.
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The arrested men were allowed to speak to their families over phone in September end and granted consular access on October 3 and then again in the first week of November. But their release is far from sight.
Solitary confinement
The embassy has no information yet about the charges against the men. Strangely enough, all of them are reportedly in solitary confinement, reserved usually for security-related offences.
In the past too Doha has jailed Indians and deported them for various offences. As India has friendly relations with Doha and the two countries have conducted joint naval exercises, this case has taken India by surprise. It is unusual to arrest defence personnel, even if retired and in private employment.
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