Eight Indians in the custody of the Qatar authorities were allowed to meet their family members “recently”, an official of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday. The official spokesperson of the MEA, Arindam Bagchi, said the government was monitoring the case closely.
“Some family members from India recently travelled and met their family members who have been detained [in Qatar]. Visit of more family members to Qatar is being facilitated and our Embassy in Doha is continuing to pursue the matter,” Mr. Bagchi said in the MEA’s weekly briefing. He described the case as “a matter of high priority” for India.
Mr. Bagchi, however, declined to share details of the legal processes that the eight Indians are facing in Qatar. The Hindu had reported earlier that India was granted consular access to detained nationals last week. During the meeting, Indian officials confirmed the physical well-being of the eight individuals.
According to reports, the men, all former members of the Indian Navy, were employed with Dahra Global Technologies and Consultancy Services, a private organisation. The case has already become one of the longest-running disputes involving multiple Indian nationals in Qatar.
