NEW DELHI: With no communication yet from Qatar authorities about why eight former Indian naval personnel are in custody in Doha, the family members of the detainees remain a worried lot. Among those detained is Commander (retd) Purnendu Tiwari, an Indian expatriate who was conferred the the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award in 2019.
Tiwari’s sister Meetu Bhargava said while Tiwari was allowed once to speak to his mother on phone, he remained in solitary confinement in Doha and the family was completely in the dark about what efforts were being made to secure the release of Tiwari and others. “Nobody really knows what the charges against them are. We have not heard from Qatar. Indian authorities have also not been forthcoming. It’s been 70 days since they were detained. High time something was done about it,” she said.
The private firm that the ex-naval personnel were working with was involved in the training of Qatari Emiri Navy. There’s speculation that their detention might have something to do with the firm’s rivalry with another firm. While consular access was provided to the eight men, no Qatar authority has said anything publicly about the detention.
Tiwari’s sister Meetu Bhargava said while Tiwari was allowed once to speak to his mother on phone, he remained in solitary confinement in Doha and the family was completely in the dark about what efforts were being made to secure the release of Tiwari and others. “Nobody really knows what the charges against them are. We have not heard from Qatar. Indian authorities have also not been forthcoming. It’s been 70 days since they were detained. High time something was done about it,” she said.
The private firm that the ex-naval personnel were working with was involved in the training of Qatari Emiri Navy. There’s speculation that their detention might have something to do with the firm’s rivalry with another firm. While consular access was provided to the eight men, no Qatar authority has said anything publicly about the detention.
