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Return of 8 ex-naval officers detained in Qatar is a high priority: MEA
According to reports, Qatari authorities have eight times rejected bail pleas filed for the release of the eight former Indian naval personnel. They were detained on August 30 last year
NEW DELHI: India attaches “high priority” to the issue of eight former Indian Navy personnel detained in Qatar since last August and is making efforts for their early return and repatriation, external affairs ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said on Thursday.
The eight men, who were working for Dahra Global Technologies and Consultancy Services, a private firm owned by an Oman Air Force officer that provides training and other services to Qatar’s armed forces, have been detained on unspecified charges.
According to reports, their bail pleas have been rejected eight times by Qatari authorities and their detention was recently extended by another month. They were all detained on August 30 last year, and have been held in solitary confinement.
Bagchi told a regular media briefing that the government is fully seized of the matter.
“We attach high priority to the matter. There are continuous efforts by our embassy [in Doha] for resolution of the matter so that early return and repatriation can take place of the detained Indian nationals,” he said.
“Our embassy has been seeking consular access. I think one more request is pending so that they can ascertain the welfare and well-being of our nationals and the family meetings and family visits continue to be facilitated.”
Indian officials have been given consular access to the eight men on a handful of occasions, and some of their relatives, from both Doha and India, have been allowed to meet them.
A lawyer representing the detained men also joined Indian officials to meet them when consular access was granted for the third time in January.
There has been no official statement from India or Qatar on the reasons for the detention of the eight men, some of them highly decorated naval officers who have commanded major warships. Qatar was one of the first West Asian countries to forge strong defence ties with India and its silence on the matter has baffled experts.
