‘Survived only because of our training’: How Navy veterans spent months in Qatar prison

For the Navy veterans, who were pardoned by Qatar and released, returning home has been the biggest joy for them. And their release from Qatar came as a surprise to them too. According to an NDTV report, they were asked by Qatari officials to pack their belongings just a day before and to wait for 9 am next day. According to the report, they were then whisked away to the embassy before being transported to the airport. Then, they boarded an IndiGo flight, which arrived in Delhi at 2 am on 12 January. The lone individual who has not returned is expected to return soon, following some paperwork. Returning home, the former Navy personnel expressed joy and gratitude and thanked the prime minister, saying, “We are very happy that we are back in India, safely.” And now that they are back home, they paint a picture of what life was behind bars. ‘Survived because of defence training’ Ragesh Gopakumar, one of the eight Indian Navy veterans released by the Qatar government, was reunited with his family after spending months in captivity. “We are just happy to be alive… happy to be home,” a relieved Gopakumar said, adding that he and his colleagues survived only because of their defence training. He was freed along with the seven other former Navy personnel by Qatar two days ago after their death sentences were commuted to jail terms of varying duration. Gopakumar arrived in Balaramapuram, a suburb located over 16 km away from Kerala’s capital city, on Monday and tearfully hugged his family members. Also Read: How Indian Navy veterans, their families learnt about release from Qatar jail Speaking to PTI, the ex-Navy man said, “Prison and confinement is something terrible.” Whenever someone inquired what the plight of his family had been when he was in prison, he would ask them to imagine a situation where a husband who used to speak to his wife at least five times a day suddenly stopped calling her. The former Navy veteran attributed his release to his family’s prayers and the efforts of the union government. Lavishing praises on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said it was only because of his personal intervention that their release was made possible. Also Read: India’s first reaction to the release of ex-Navy personnel from Qatar Gopakumar said all of them were hopeful that they would step out of the prison “if Modiji intervened” but had no idea how long it would take. He also expressed gratitude to the central government for having made arrangements to bring the families of the jailed ex-Naval officers to Qatar. “If an Indian is in trouble abroad and is innocent… if our PM is convinced about it, he will come to their rescue even if it is just one person… every Indian should know this,” he said. [caption id=“attachment_13727432” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] One of the freed Navy veterans waves after landing at Delhi Airport. After a horrific ordeal of 18 months, the eight retired Navy personnel were released by Qatar. ANI[/caption] Recalling his days in prison, Gopakumar said he and his colleagues survived only because of the training they underwent as defence forces. Gopakumar said he had retired from the Indian Navy in 2017 and later joined the Oman defence training company as a communications instructor. ‘Big relief for the family’ “It happens. It’s part of our lives,” retired Indian Navy commander B K Verma, the 58-year-old who was among the former Indian Navy personnel, released from a jail in Qatar on Monday says with stoicism while talking about his daughter’s wedding that he could not attend. The retired commander told PTI that his release from jail would not have been possible without Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s personal intervention. The Navi Mumbai resident was here to attend a wedding in the family. Also Read: Qatar frees eight jailed Navy veterans: How India pulled off this move “I am very happy to be back among my family. It is also a big relief for my family. My joy has also increased because today is the wedding of my nephew,” Verma said. “It is due to Prime Minister Modi’s personal intervention that I am sitting here today. I thank him from the bottom of my heart on behalf of myself and my colleagues. I also thank the Emir of Qatar for his magnanimous consideration of my case,” he added. [caption id=“attachment_13727442” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Retired Indian Navy commander BK Verma, who returned to India on Monday after being released from a Qatar jail, with his wife at a function in Indore. PTI[/caption] Verma could not attend his daughter’s wedding on 27 November, 2022. He wanted to be with his wife and children now and also meet all his friends who stood by the family in difficult times, Verma added. Thanking God for her husband’s release, his wife Suman said reuniting with him was a moment they were “forever waiting for”. “Looking at him again, I was thinking if he is really in front of me….” she said. “My husband’s presence at the wedding in Indore makes me feel like we are reliving our daughter’s wedding moment. My daughter is also with us,” she added. She also thanked the Indian government for its efforts to secure her husband’s release. Prime Minister played a big role in the release The eight Indian Navy personnel faced charges of espionage but neither the Qatari authorities nor New Delhi had made the allegations levelled against them public. On 26 October, they were sentenced to death by Qatar’s Court of First Instance. On 28 December, the Court of Appeal in the Gulf nation commuted the capital punishment and sentenced them to jail terms for durations ranging from three years to 25 years. The Court of Appeal had given 60 days to appeal against the prison terms. In December last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani on the sidelines of the COP28 Summit in Dubai and discussed the well-being of Indians in Qatar. It is learnt that National Security Adviser Ajit Doval played a role in the negotiations with the Qatari authorities in securing the release of the Indians. With inputs from PTI