India said on Thursday that eight of its citizens had been sentenced to death by Qatar in a case that the media reported involved high-ranking ex-naval officers accused of spying.

New Delhi said it would “take up the verdict with Qatari authorities” and would continue to “extend all consular and legal assistance” to the prisoners, the foreign ministry said in a statement.

“We have initial information that the Court of First Instance of Qatar has today passed a judgement in the case involving eight Indian employees of Al Dahra company,” the statement added.

“We are deeply shocked by the verdict of death penalty and are awaiting the detailed judgement.”

Al Dahra is a Gulf-based company that offers “complete support solutions” to the aerospace, security and defence sectors, according to its website.

There was no immediate confirmation from the Qatari authorities.

India’s foreign ministry gave no further details on the eight condemned or their alleged crimes.

“Due to the confidential nature of proceedings of this case, it would not be appropriate to make any further comment at this juncture,” the ministry statement added, saying it was “exploring all legal options”.

However, several Indian media outlets reported that among those sentenced were ex-naval officers -– including former captains and commanders -– and that the men had been arrested in Doha in August 2022.

The Times of India, Hindustan Times and the Press Trust of India all reported that the men were arrested for an “alleged case of espionage”. (The PUNCH)

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