Did SRK help release Indian navy officers in Qatar under espionage charges? Actor clears the air

Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan has refuted allegations suggesting his involvement in securing the release of eight Indian Navy veterans held on espionage charges in Qatar. Former Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy had earlier claimed that the superstar played a role in persuading the Qatari government to release the individuals.

"Modi should take Cinema star Sharuk Khan to Qatar with him since after MEA and NSA had failed to persuade the Shiekhs of Qatar, Modi pleaded with Khan to intervene and thus got an expensive settlement from the Qatar Shiekhs to free our Naval officers (sic)," Swamy said in reply to Indian PM Narendra Modi's post on X.

Khan's team issued a statement denying the former BJP leader's claims. "Regarding the reports concerning Shah Rukh Khan's purported role in the release of India's naval officers from Qatar, the office of Mr Shah Rukh Khan says that any such assertions of his involvement are unfounded, emphasizing the execution of this successful resolution solely rests with the Indian government officials and unequivocally denies Mr Khan's participation in this matter (sic)," The actor's manager Pooja Dadlani shared a statement on Instagram.

The Dilwale star, who was recently in Qatar as a special guest for the AFC Final, faced speculation regarding his influence in the release. Pictures of the actor being greeted by Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani further fueled the rumours.

In response to the claims, the Ministry of External Affairs issued a statement on Monday, confirming that seven out of the eight former Indian Navy personnel had returned to India from Qatar. The Navy veterans had been detained in August 2022 on charges of espionage, accused by Qatari authorities of spying on a submarine, leading to their imprisonment.

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