‘Please bring Purnenda home’: 88-year-old mother of Indian Navy veteran detained in Qatar seeks answers | Exclusive | Today’s news

At the age of 88, Pramodini Tiwary says she has only one prayer left: to see her son, former Indian Navy officer Commander Purnenda Tiwary, return home from Qatar.

In a written interview with LiveMint, she spoke of her anxiety about her 67-year-old son remaining in Doha after years of detention. and uncertainty and what she described as repeated assurances that his return was only a matter of completing certain formalities.

“As a mother, I was heartbroken to learn on February 12, 2024 that my son, Cdr Purnendu Tiwary, was the only one left behind in Doha while his seven Navy veterans returned to India,” she said.

Tiwary said the family was repeatedly assured that there were only a few formalities left before her son could return to India.

“We have been repeatedly assured that only some formalities are left and that Purnendu will also return home after completion. The MEA has also publicly stated that he has to complete certain paper formalities before his return,” she said.

Former Navy chief Purnendu Tiwary is still in custody in Qatar.(X: DrMeetu Bhargava)

But the wait continued.

She said her son suffers from several illnesses, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which the family attributes to his prolonged solitary confinement.

“He suffers from a number of serious illnesses, including PTSD from prolonged isolation. Each additional day of incarceration takes a severe toll on his physical and mental well-being,” she said.

For the elderly mother, the years of separation became an ordeal in themselves.

“At 88, I am a devastated mother. I have only one prayer: that God will show mercy to my son, end his suffering and bring him home safely.”

She said, “No mother should spend the precious twilight years of her life waiting endlessly for her son. Please bring Purnenda home.”

Purnendu Tiwary remains only a Navy veteran

Purnendu Tiwary was among eight former Indian Navy personnel detained in Qatar in 2022 in an espionage case that drew widespread attention in India.

His family says he served extended solitary confinement from August 30, 2022 to February 12, 2024.

As of February 2024, seven of the eight veterans returned to India while Tiwary remained in Doha.

The family says they have been told certain formalities must be completed before he can return. More than two years later, he wants to be clear about what the formalities were and why it took so long to resolve them.

Tiwary subsequently became involved in a separate financial case in Qatar.

His family challenged the six-year sentence imposed in the case, citing a subsequent trial that they say found him innocent in a separate case initiated by the CEO of Dehra Global.

The MEA says the embassy provides consular assistance

Meanwhile, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) claimed that the Indian Embassy in Qatar is providing consular assistance to Tiwary and remains in touch with his family.

In early April, MEA spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said in response to media inquiries that Indian officials had met Tiwary in prison and were in regular contact with his family.

“Our embassy is in touch with Commander Tiwary and his family and is providing all possible consular assistance,” Jaiswal said.

The family says they deserve answers

In a post on X, Tiwary’s sister Meetu Bhargav alleged that embassy officials failed to maintain meaningful communication with the family and did not respond to repeated requests for information.

The family says the lack of communication has compounded the suffering of an ordeal that has now spanned years.

Bhargav said she appealed to the Indian Navy and the wider defense fraternity to stand by the former officer.

She also urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to intervene and facilitate her brother’s return to India.

A decorated Navy veteran awaits his return home

Tiwary is a decorated former officer of the Indian Navy and a recipient of the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman, awarded to him by the then President Ram Nath Kovind in 2019. His family says he was the first armed forces veteran to receive the award.

Purnendu Tiwary receiving the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman, awarded to him by the then President Ram Nath Kovind in 2019, as Sushma Swaraj, the then External Affairs Minister of India, looks on. . (X:@DrMeetuBhargav)

Today, however, his family says they care less about honoring him than about his safe return.

His 88-year-old mother’s plea is simple: “Please bring Purnenda home.”