Uncertainty grips family of Indian tech boss detained in Qatar

Every week, JP Gupta is heartbroken to hear his son crying on the phone. This distressing routine began after his son, Amit Gupta, was detained in Qatar in January of this year. Amit Gupta is a senior technology officer from India working in Qatar, but the charges against him have not been made public.

Nearly three months have passed, and Amit Gupta's family in India says they still do not know what crime he is accused of committing. "He is only allowed to speak to us for five minutes each week, and all he says is: 'Dad, I haven't done anything wrong,' before breaking down," his father stated.

Amit Gupta is the head of the Indian technology company Tech Mahindra in Kuwait and Qatar. He moved to Doha, the capital of Qatar, in 2013 for work. His father told the BBC that on January 1st, he was "taken" by officials from the Qatari State Security near his office without any explanation. The Qatari Ministry of Interior has not responded to the BBC's inquiries regarding the reason for Amit Gupta's detention.

The BBC has contacted Tech Mahindra for comment. A spokesperson for the company previously stated that they are in close contact with the family and are providing them with "necessary support." "We are also actively coordinating with authorities in both countries and adhering to due process. Ensuring the well-being of our colleague is our top priority," the company stated. Tech Mahindra is an Indian software services and consulting company with operations in 90 countries, including Qatar, and employs over 138,000 people.

The Indian government has not officially commented on Amit Gupta's case. However, sources from the Indian Ministry of External Affairs told the BBC that the Indian Embassy in Qatar is "closely monitoring the case." "The embassy has been in regular contact with the family, Amit Gupta's lawyer, and the Qatari authorities," the sources said. "Our embassy will continue to provide all possible assistance in this matter."

However, Amit Gupta's wife, Aakanksha Goyal, says that the government should do more to secure her husband's release. She wrote a letter to the office of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, stating that her husband is "undergoing immense mental stress/trauma." "Our frequent appeals to the concerned authorities in Doha have not yielded any positive response," she wrote. Goyal told the BBC that the letter was acknowledged and forwarded to the Indian Ministry of External Affairs on February 18th, but there has been no progress since then. "We have sought meetings with Prime Minister Modi and Foreign Minister S Jaishankar. We don't anticipate any progress until they intervene," she said.

In February, Amit Gupta's parents traveled to Doha and, with the help of the Indian embassy, managed to see him. "When we saw him, he just hugged us and cried. He kept repeating that he had done nothing wrong," his father said, adding that his son has not yet been interrogated by Qatari investigators. "If they haven't found any evidence against him, they should release him," he stated.

Hundreds of thousands of Indians live and work in Qatar. This is the second high-profile case of an Indian national being detained or arrested in Qatar since 2022. Last year, a court in the Gulf state released eight former Indian Navy officers who had previously been sentenced to death. Neither Qatar nor India has disclosed the charges against the men, who were working for a private company in Qatar at the time. However, media reports claimed that the men were accused of spying for Israel. The commutation of the death sentences was considered a diplomatic victory for Modi, whose government maintains good relations with Qatar. In February, the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, led a high-level delegation on a state visit to India. During the visit, the two countries elevated their bilateral relations to a strategic partnership.

As Amit Gupta's anxious family anxiously waits, Goyal says she finds it difficult to answer questions from her 11-year-old and 4-year-old children. "My children keep asking me what has happened to their father. My son's birthday is in April, and he wants Amit to be there as usual," she said.