New Delhi, Oct 26: A local court in Qatar sentenced eight former members of the Indian Navy to death on Thursday; India called the decision “deeply” distressing. The Indian nationals, who were all employed by Al Dahra, were detained in August of last year on suspicion of spying. The charges that the Indian nationals were facing were not disclosed by the authorities in Qatar. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) responded by stating that it is investigating all legal options and giving this case “high importance.” According to preliminary information, the Court of First Instance of Qatar rendered a decision in the matter of the eight Indian workers of the Al Dahra company today.“We are awaiting the whole verdict and are extremely surprised by the death penalty verdict. We are investigating all legal alternatives and staying in contact with the family members and the legal team,” the statement read. The MEA declared that it will keep providing Indians with all consular and legal support. This matter is very important to us, and we have been keeping a close eye on it. We will keep providing all legal and consular support. It stated in a statement, “We will also discuss the verdict with Qatari authorities. It said, “It would not be appropriate to make any further comment at this time due to the confidential nature of proceedings of this case.”After gaining permission to visit the individuals in custody, India’s envoy to Qatar saw them on October 1.
