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Concerns have also been raised about Tiwary’s health, with reports indicating that he is suffering from hypertension, diabetes and post-traumatic stress disorder, allegedly aggravated by prolonged solitary confinement
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Bhargava has appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar for urgent intervention, and has also urged the Chief of Naval Staff and the wider defence community to support efforts for his release
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has said that the Indian Embassy in Doha is providing all possible consular assistance to retired Indian Navy Commander Purnendu Tiwary, who was arrested in December last year in connection with a case currently underway in Qatar.
Addressing the weekly media briefing on Friday, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal confirmed that Tiwary’s arrest followed a court verdict and stressed that the matter remains sub judice. “He was arrested last month in a case that has been going on in Qatar for quite some time. As per our information, apart from him, there are several others who have been arrested as well, but they are of other nationalities,” Jaiswal said.
He added that the Indian Embassy continues to remain in close contact with Commander Tiwary and his family. “Our embassy is extending all possible consular help. Since the case is currently under judicial consideration, it would not be appropriate to comment further,” the MEA spokesperson noted.
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Commander Tiwary, 65, a native of Gwalior, is one of the eight former Indian Navy officers who were arrested in August 2022 on espionage-related charges while working for a private firm in Qatar
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Initially sentenced to death, the penalties of all eight officers were commuted to prison terms by Qatar’s Court of Appeal in December 2023
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In February 2024, seven of them returned to India after receiving a royal pardon from the Emir of Qatar
Tiwary, however, remained behind due to a travel ban linked to alleged financial irregularities involving his employer, Dahra Global Technologies. Nearly two years after the initial pardon, he now faces a fresh legal challenge. According to his sister, Meetu Bhargava, he has been implicated in what she describes as a secondary case arising from the original matter.
In a post on social media platform X dated December 30, 2025, Bhargava claimed that her brother has been sentenced to six years’ imprisonment on charges of criminal conspiracy and money laundering. She said he has been incarcerated for over a month and is facing severe hardship despite his decorated naval career and being a recipient of the President’s Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award.
