‘Shrouded in mystery, opacity’: Shashi Tharoor on case of 8 Indians given death sentence in Qatar

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said the death sentence given to eight Indians who were in the Navy by the Qatar authorities is shocking.

As Tharoor expressed confidence in the external affairs ministry and PM Modi that they will act immediately with the highest levels of the Qatar government to bring them home, the Congress MP said the details of the entire case are shrouded in mystery and opacity.

The Congress on Thursday called the developments ‘disturbing’ and expressed shock. “It hopes and expects that the Govt of India will use its diplomatic and political leverage with the Qatar government to the maximum to ensure that the officers have full recourse to appeals and also do the utmost to get them released at the earliest,” the Congress said in a statement.

After a Qatar court passed death sentence to 8 Navy veterans, New Delhi said it would contest the verdict.

What is Al Dahra Global Technologies and Consultancy Services?

The eight Navy veterans when they were arrested were working at Al Dahra Global Technologies and Consultancy Services. It was a private firm of an Oman Air Force officer which provided training and other services to Qattar’s armed forces and security agencies. After the arrest of the eight Indians, the company was closed.

‘Dahra is a world-class supplier of military aircraft parts to defence and related industries. Our core area of business is defence services; the procurement and sale of equipment,” the website of the company claimed.

Who is Purnendu Tiwari?

Seven out of the 8 Indians sentenced to death in Qatar were decorated officers in the Indian Navy. Purnendu Tiwari who served as the managing director of Al Dahra was conferred the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award four years ago. This is the highest honour for NRIs/Persons of Indian Origin and Purnendu Tiwari was the first from the Indian armed forces to be awarded this.