Govt making all-out efforts to bring back Navy veterans on death row in Qatar: Navy Chief Hari Kumar
New Delhi, Dec 1: The government is making all-out efforts to bring back eight former naval personnel from Qatar, who were handed death sentences by a Qatari court, Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar said on Friday.
"There is total support and effort being put in by the government," he said.
The Navy veterans were on October 26 sentenced to death by Qatar's Court of First Instance. India described the ruling as "deeply" shocking and vowed to explore all legal options.
An appeal has already been filed against the death sentence and a higher court in Qatar has admitted the plea.
"The ex-naval officers in Qatar are veterans.... And we are interested in ensuring that their welfare is taken care of. I want to reassure you that the Indian government is putting all-out efforts to ensure that they are brought back," Kumar said this while responding to a question at a media briefing.
The Indian nationals, who worked with private company Al Dahra, were arrested in August last year reportedly in a case of alleged espionage.
Neither the Qatari authorities nor New Delhi made the charges against the Indian nationals public.
In its reaction to the ruling by the Qatari court, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said last month that it is attaching "high importance" to the case and exploring all legal options.
The charges were filed against the eight Indian Navy veterans on March 25 and they were tried under Qatari law.
All the former officers had "unblemished stints" of up to 20 years in the Indian Navy and held important positions, including that of instructors in the force, former military officials had said.
In May, Al-Dahra Global closed its operations in Doha and all those working there (primarily Indians) have since returned home.
In the past, the Navy had taken up the case of the former naval personnel with the top brass of the government for securing their release.
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4 held for sexually assaulting woman, girl on moving bus after social media alert in UP's Agra
Agra (UP) (PTI): Four people were arrested, after a prompt response by police following a social media alert, for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman and a girl inside a moving bus here, officials said on Tuesday.
According to an official police statement, at 12:27 am on April 27, information was received on the social media platform X about an incident of sexual assault on a bus travelling from Kanpur to Ahmedabad, which was approaching Namner crossing in Agra.
Acting under the direction of Police Commissioner Deepak Kumar, the Agra Police social media team immediately alerted the Rakabganj police station within minutes and coordinated with the victims to confirm the incident and obtain the exact location, it stated.
Police teams launched intensive checking at Namner crossing and intercepted the bus as it reached the spot. The four accused involved in the incident were apprehended on the spot, and legal action was initiated against them, the statement said.
The police said the swift response and coordination between the social media team and field units ensured timely action, bringing relief to the victims and other passengers, who expressed gratitude towards the police, it added.
