Dr. Meetu Bhargava, sister of retired Indian Navy Commander Purnendu Tiwary, has made a heartfelt plea to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar to intervene urgently in her brother’s case. Tiwary, a resident of Gwalior, is among the eight ex-Navy officers pardoned by Qatar’s Emir almost two years ago. Despite this, he remains detained in Doha due to a new legal issue, raising concerns about his well-being and India’s diplomatic efforts.
Tiwary, aged 65, was arrested in August 2022 on espionage charges while working for a private company in Qatar. Initially facing a death sentence, their punishments were reduced to prison terms by Qatar’s Court of Appeal in December 2023, with a 60-day window for appeal. While seven officers returned to India in February 2024 following a royal pardon facilitated by PM Modi, Tiwary was unable to leave due to a travel ban linked to financial irregularities at his employer, Dahra Global Technologies.
In a recent social media post on December 30, Bhargava revealed that Tiwary has been implicated in a new case related to criminal conspiracy and money laundering, resulting in a six-year prison sentence. She criticized the Ministry of External Affairs for alleged inaction, accusing them of neglecting to review the case details, which has worsened Tiwary’s situation. Despite his decorated service and recognition with the President’s Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award, Tiwary continues to face challenges in jail.
Bhargava highlighted Tiwary’s deteriorating health, citing hypertension, diabetes, and PTSD from prolonged solitary confinement as severe risks to his life. She also called upon the Chief of Naval Staff to address the silence surrounding a retired officer’s predicament and urged the naval community to support his release. Recent reports suggest that Tiwary could face deportation following his conviction.
Despite ongoing diplomatic relations with Qatar, including the Emir’s visit to India in 2025, there have been no updates from the Ministry of External Affairs regarding Tiwary’s status. Both the Prime Minister’s Office and the Ministry of External Affairs have not issued any public responses at this time.
