India files appeal in case of 8 Navy veterans awarded death penalty over espionage charge in Qatar

The Indian government had earlier said it was "deeply shocked by the verdict" and said it was exploring all available legal options

At a scheduled press briefing, Bagchi said case details remain unavailable. "The judgement is confidential... has only been shared with the legal team. We are now pursuing further legal steps."

"We are in touch with the family (of the eight Naval officers)... if you remember, the External Affairs Minister (S Jaishankar) met their family in Delhi. We will continue to extend all possible legal and consular support," Bagchi said and cautioned against speculation in this sensitive matter.

Consular access to the eight was last provided on Tuesday, he said.

On Oct 26, a court in Qatar handed down death sentences to the eight former Indian Navy personnel who had been jailed in the country for over a year.

The eight ex-Navy officers include decorated individuals who once commanded major Indian warships, and were working for Dahra Global Technologies and Consultancy Services when arrested.

Media reports said that the Navy veterans were accused of espionage in connection with a submarine program allegedly on behalf of Israel. Qatari authorities also claim to possess electronic evidence related to the case.

Some of them were reportedly engaged in a sensitive project involving Italian technology-based midget submarines with stealth capabilities.

The former Indian Navy officers—Captain Navtej Singh Gill, Captain Birendra Kumar Verma, Captain Saurabh Vasisht, Commander Amit Nagpal, Commander Purnendu Tiwari, Commander Sugunakar Pakala, Commander Sanjeev Gupta, and Sailor Ragesh—were arrested by the Qatar intelligence agency in Doha on August 30, 2022, India Today reported.

They have been in custody since August 2022, and New Delhi, having been granted consular access, has been actively working to secure their release.

The arrested men underwent trial proceedings in March.

Despite multiple attempts, their bail pleas were rejected by Qatari authorities. The death sentences were announced earlier in the day by a Court of First Instance in Qatar.