"My husband is under immense mental pressure/trauma."
Indian tech boss Amit Gupta has been detained in Qatar but his family remains in the dark about the charges against him.
The detention, which began in January 2025, has left his family in India deeply concerned, as they have received no clarity regarding the nature of the alleged crime.
Amit Gupta, who serves as the country head for Tech Mahindra in Kuwait and Qatar, was reportedly taken by state security officers on January 1 from a restaurant near his office in Doha without any explanation.
He had moved to Qatar in 2013 to work for the Indian tech giant.
The Qatari Ministry of Interior has not responded to media inquiries regarding the reasons for Amit Gupta’s detention.
A spokesperson for Tech Mahindra said they were in close contact with Gupta’s family and were providing “necessary support”.
The spokesperson said: “We are also actively coordinating with authorities in both countries and adhering to the due process.
“Ensuring the wellbeing of our colleague is our top priority.”
Tech Mahindra operates in 90 countries, including Qatar, with over 138,000 employees.
The Indian government has not issued an official statement on the matter.
However, sources in India’s foreign ministry said the Indian embassy in Doha is “closely following the case” and is providing support to the family.
The source said: “The mission has been in touch with the family, the lawyer representing Amit Gupta and Qatari authorities on a regular basis.
“Our embassy continues to provide all possible assistance in the matter.”
Amit’s wife Aakanksha Goyal has expressed frustration with the lack of progress in securing her husband’s release.
She wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s office, urging stronger intervention.
“My husband is under immense mental pressure/trauma.”
Aakanksha added that appeals to Qatari authorities had yielded no positive response.
Her letter, acknowledged by the Prime Minister’s office on February 18, was forwarded to India’s foreign ministry.
However, Aakanksha said there has been no further action.
She said: “We have sought a meeting with Prime Minister Modi and Foreign Minister S Jaishankar. Until they intervene, we don’t expect anything will happen.”
In February, Amit’s parents travelled to Doha, where they were able to meet him with assistance from the Indian embassy.
His father described the emotional reunion: “When we saw him, he just hugged us and cried. He kept repeating that he had done nothing wrong.”
Amit’s father also noted that his son had not been questioned by Qatari investigators yet, urging for his release if no evidence was found.
He told the BBC:
“If they have not found anything against him, he should be released.”
The case highlights the challenges faced by the large Indian diaspora in Qatar. Amit Gupta’s family is not alone in their distress.
This is the second high-profile case of Indians being detained or arrested in Qatar to make headlines since 2022.
The tech boss’ fate remains uncertain as his wife struggles to explain the situation to their children:
“My children keep asking me what happened to their father. My son’s birthday is in April and he is expecting Amit to be there as usual.”
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