An India Today report said on Wednesday that Qatari authorities have again arrested former Indian Navy commander Purnendu Tiwary earlier this month, with his family saying he was sent to jail on December 6. The report said his relatives have appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to intervene and secure his release.

Tiwary was one of eight Indian veterans arrested in Qatar in August 2022 and later sentenced to death. Following sustained diplomatic engagement, seven were pardoned and returned to India in February last year. However, the report said Tiwary remained in Qatar due to a separate legal case linked to a financial investigation, as indicated earlier by the Ministry of External Affairs.

Prime Minister Modi had previously raised the issue with Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani. The report added that Tiwary has spoken to his family only twice recently, while the MEA is yet to issue a fresh statement.