Separate case keeps ex-navy official Tiwary in Qatari jail; efforts on to free him: Sources

New Delhi, a former Indian Navy officer whose death sentence was commuted along with seven others by a Qatari court in 2023, remains in custody on a separate conviction but has denied some of his family’s allegations, official sources said on Saturday.

The Indian government has taken up Purnendu Tiwary’s case for amnesty, officials said, adding that the Indian embassy in Qatar is in contact with his wife and mission officials met him in prison several times. Tiwary was among eight former Navy personnel arrested by Qatar authorities in 2022 on espionage charges.

While all other staff returned to India following the Qatar court’s decision to commute the sentences, Tiwary continues to stay in Qatar. It was learned that Tiwary was accused of financial irregularities related to his former employer, a subsidiary of Oman-based Dahra Engineering and Security Services.

Tiwary’s sister, Meetu Bhargava, said in a social media post that the government failed to ensure Tiwary’s return and even claimed that the Qatar Supreme Court “rejected these allegations” and declared him “innocent” in its decision on March 12.

“This claim by Meetu Bhargava is actually false. Tiwary was convicted by the Qatar Court of Appeal along with his Omani owner and another Qatari official,” a source said.

“This decision came in February 2026. The decision dated March 12 is a separate lawsuit filed against Tiwary by the Omani owner of the company,” the statement said.
Sources said the government has always provided every possible assistance to Tiwary and continues to do so. “The embassy is in contact with his wife and our officers met him in prison several times. We also took up the case for amnesty,” said the source cited above.

Sources said the case in which Tiwary was convicted was a separate case from the one in which he and others were released after intervention by the Indian government.

“He is an eighth marine veteran, he has a specific case against him. He has been detained in this case. This has nothing to do with the earlier case,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at a press conference on Friday.

“The court there made a decision and decided to punish him. We are in contact with him, his family and his lawyers. This is the place for this matter,” he said.

Bhargava, in his post on social media on Saturday, said, “Commander Tiwary is a decorated naval officer. Subjecting such an officer to imprisonment, humiliation and pain despite no fault of his own is a matter of serious national concern.” he said.