NEW DELHI: The return of the eighth Indian naval veteran, Commander Purnendu Tiwari, from Doha depends on his completion of some formalities, said the MEA. Commander Tiwari is currently under a travel ban and cannot leave Qatar.
“There are certain formalities that Commander Tiwari has to complete and he has to do it on his own. Once he clears it, he will be back. You may recall that he is a free man (like the other seven naval veterans) and is living in Doha,” Ministry of External Affairs spokesman Randhir Jaiswal told The New Indian Express.
It may be recalled that the eight naval veterans, who were employed with Dhara Consultancies in Doha, were picked up by Qatar's Interior Ministry on August 30th 2022. What followed was a long and arduous process of waiting for their release from detention which began with solitary confinement.
They were chargesheeted (details of which were not made public) and the death penalty was announced for all eight which was later converted into jail sentences.
However, in a diplomatic coup, all eight were released on February 12th this year. Seven naval veterans returned the same night while Commander Tiwari, even though was freed, had to stay on due to a travel ban.
The issue that Commander Tiwari has to clear pertains to his association with Dhara Consultancies which had closed operations last year.
His 85-year-old mother is avidly awaiting his return to India. However, his return is dependent on when he clears the formalities related to the impending issues.