A court in Qatar has issued death sentences for eight former Indian Navy personnel who were detained for over a year. The Indian government has expressed its profound dismay at the verdict and stated that it is exploring all possible legal avenues. These military veterans were employed by a private company when they were taken into custody by the Qatari intelligence service in August of the previous year on unspecified charges.

The individuals who have been detained include 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.

"We are profoundly surprised by the death penalty verdict and are eagerly awaiting the comprehensive judgment. We are in contact with the family members and the legal team, and we are actively investigating all available legal avenues. This case is of great significance to us, and we have been monitoring it closely. We will persist in providing full consular and legal support. Furthermore, we will address the verdict with Qatari authorities," stated the Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday.

According to previous reports, the group had been charged with espionage, specifically accused of spying on a submarine program allegedly on behalf of Israel. Qatari authorities have additionally suggested that they hold electronic evidence related to this case.

The Indian nationals underwent their initial trial in late March. New Delhi had been granted consular access to the eight Indians and had been actively engaged in efforts to secure their release. An ANI report, citing sources, had indicated in April of this year that Indian agencies were offering comprehensive assistance to the detained Indians.

The Navy veterans were said to have held senior positions at Dahra Global Technologies, where they were involved in a sensitive project related to the construction of midget submarines. According to sources from ANI, there are suggestions that the group accused of espionage may have been falsely implicated or "framed" by Pakistani intelligence agencies.