New Delhi, Sept. 17 -- At 88, Pramodini Tiwary says she has only one prayer left: to see her son, former Indian Navy officer Commander Purnendu Tiwary, return home from Qatar.

In a written interview with LiveMint, she spoke about the anguish of watching her 67-year-old son remain 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 when, on 12 February 2024, I learnt that my son, Cdr Purnendu Tiwary, was the only one left behind in Doha while his seven fellow Navy veterans returned to India," she said.

Tiwary said the family was repeatedly assured that only a few formalities remained before her...