Chandigarh-born Captain Navtej Singh Gill (retd) was one of the eight Navy personnel sentenced to death in Qatar on charges of espionage. Prior to his decision to leave the Navy midway through, Gill had a stellar service record.
After being commissioned in January 1987, he worked as an instructor at the esteemed Defence Services Staff College in Wellington, where he also received the President’s Gold Medal for being the finest cadet throughout pre-commission training.
He served on board surface ships and was a navigation and direction expert, according to officers who have worked with him. He was an avid sportsman who played badminton at the service level. His father was a retired Army officer.
After serving for 20 to 22 years, according to sources, he chose to retire early and began working in the private sector. He was employed in Qatar, along with the other seven people, by a private company called Dahra Global Technologies and Consultancy Services, which offered the country’s armed forces training and other services.