Indian naval veteran re-arrested in Qatar, family seeks PM Modi’s intervention

A former Indian Navy officer has reportedly been taken into custody again by Qatari authorities, prompting his family to seek urgent intervention from the Indian government.

According to reports, naval veteran Purnendu Tiwary was re-arrested in Qatar and sent to jail on December 6. Following the development, his family has appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to step in and has also sought assistance from External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

Tiwary was among eight Indian Navy veterans arrested in Qatar on August 16, 2022, in a case that later led to death sentences being awarded to all of them. After sustained diplomatic engagement by India, seven of the eight were granted pardons by Qatari authorities and returned to India in February last year. Tiwary, however, remained in Qatar due to a separate legal issue.

Officials from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had earlier stated that Tiwary was facing an independent financial investigation, which prevented his return along with the others. During his visit to India, Prime Minister Modi had personally raised the matter with the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani.

So far, the MEA has not issued an official statement regarding Tiwary’s reported re-arrest.