Doha: Former Indian Navy Commander Purnendu Tiwary, a 67-year-old veteran who was among eight Indian Navy personnel detained in Qatar in 2022, remains in the country more than two years after seven of the men returned to India, and is now in prison following a separate case.
His 88-year-old mother, Pramodini Tiwary, renewed her appeal for his return in a written interview with LiveMint, saying the family had repeatedly been assured that certain formalities needed to be completed before her son could come home.
Tiwary was among eight former Indian Navy personnel detained by Qatari authorities on August 30, 2022. They had been working for Dahra Global Technologies and Consultancy Services, which provided services to Qatar’s armed forces. The specific charges in the original case were not publicly disclosed by Qatari authorities, although the proceedings were widely reported as involving espionage allegations.
The eight were sentenced to death in October 2023 before their sentences were commuted. Qatar pardoned all eight in February 2024, after which seven returned to India on February 12. Tiwary remained in Qatar because of separate legal proceedings.
Why Tiwary was jailed again
Tiwary was arrested again in December 2025 in connection with a separate case. He was subsequently imprisoned in Doha.
The case involved financial and commercial matters linked to his former employer, Dahra Global Technologies and Consultancy Services. In February 2026, Qatar’s Court of Cassation sentenced Tiwary in the case.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has stressed that the proceedings are separate from the original case involving the eight former Navy personnel. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in April 2026 that India was in contact with Tiwary, his family and his lawyers and was providing possible assistance.
Family seeks his return
In her LiveMint interview, Pramodini said Tiwary suffers from multiple health problems, including Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), which the family attributes to his prolonged solitary confinement.
She said his continued detention had taken a serious toll on his physical and psychological well-being and appealed for him to be brought back to India.
Tiwary’s sister, Meetu Bhargava, has also raised the issue through posts on X, questioning his continued imprisonment and calling for government intervention.
Bhargava referred to a March 12, 2026, Qatar High Court ruling that she said cleared her brother in a separate proceeding and questioned why he remained in prison. Indian government sources, however, said the ruling was unrelated to the case in which Tiwary was sentenced by the Court of Cassation.
Bhargava has also alleged that the family faced difficulties obtaining information about the case and has appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and the Indian Navy for intervention.
