'Will Fight Legal Battle...': BJP Says India Will Bring Back 8 Ex-Indian Navy Officers From Qatar

New Delhi: India will fight a legal battle to bring back the 8 former Indian Navy personnel who have been given a death sentence by a court in Qatar, the BJP said on Friday. The party’s national spokesperson Ajay Alok said that the Ministry of External Affairs is looking into the matter.

"And, India has duly placed its stand also on the issue," Alok was quoted by news agency PTI as saying at a press conference. "We are surprised to see that such things also happen. We will fight a legal battle in this matter. The international court of justice is there. I think government of India will place its stand and we will definitely succeed in bringing them back from there," he said as per the report.

The eight former Indian Navy personnel were all given death sentences by a court in Qatar, a verdict that India described as “deeply shocking”.

Soon after the news broke, the foreign ministry released a statement saying that they were in touch with the family of these officials and all possible legal angles are being explored to take the matter further. "We are deeply shocked by the death penalty verdict and await the detailed judgement. We are in touch with the family members and the legal team, and we are exploring all legal options," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement.

The statement further says, “We attach high importance to this case, and have been following it closely. We will continue to extend all consular and legal assistance. We will also take up the verdict with Qatari authorities.”