A Qatari court reduces death sentence handed to 8 retired Indian navy officers charged with spying

By ASHOK SHARMA
Associated Press

NEW DELHI (AP) — India’s foreign ministry says Qatar’s Court of Appeal reduced the death sentence handed in October to eight retired Indian navy officers on spy charges. Ministry spokesman Arindam Bagchi said Thursday in a statement that the detailed verdict has not been received yet. “We are in close touch with the legal team as well as family members to decide on the next steps,” he said. The eight were charged with spying while working at Al Dahra, a consulting company in the oil-rich Gulf state that advises the Qatari government on submarine acquisitions, according to Indian media reports. Millions of Indians live and work in the Gulf, constituting an important source of income for India