Dehradun: Retired Navy officer Saurabh Vashishtha from Uttarakhand, who is among the eight Navy veterans released by Qatar after spending 18 months in jail on espionage charges, reached home on Tuesday Feb 13 in Dehradun to a rousing welcome by family and locals, sources said. Vashisht reached his residence in Dehradun, where his family members welcomed him warmly with moist eyes.
Vashishth was hugged by his aged parents who hugged him amid tears of joy. Besides the family members, locals thronged the retired Navy officer's home in large numbers to meet him and congratulate him on his release from the prolonged detention. People welcomed Saurabh Vashisht with flowers and garlands when he reached home after about 18 months.
Vashisht was among eight Navy veterans arrested by Qatari authorities in August 2022, on espionage charges while working in Dahra Global firm. Following their arrest, a court in Qatar had sentenced all the eight Indians to death on 26 October 2023. Since then, the Indian government was trying to save all the eight Indians jailed in Qatar through sustained diplomatic efforts and legal assistance.
Sources said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi took up the matter with the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani on December 1, 2023 during the COP28 summit, which was organized in Dubai. Following the PM's meeting with the Qatari Emir, a Qatari court had on Dec 28, reduced the death sentence of the eight Navy veterans in connection with the alleged espionage case.
The eight Indian nationals were released on Feb 12 with seven of them returning to India. All the former Indian Navy officers who returned to Delhi had expressed gratitude to PM Modi. Besides Captain Saurabh Vashisht, the freed Indian Navy veterans include Captain Navtej Singh Gill, Commander Purnendu Tiwari, Commander Sugunakar Pakala, Commander Sajeev Gupta, Commander Amit Nagpal, Captain Birendra Kumar and Navig Ragesh.
