Will Nimisha Priya's Execution in Yemen Be Stopped? Supreme Court Seeks Government Response

The fate of Nimisha Priya, a 37-year-old Indian nurse from Kerala, hangs in the balance as she faces execution in Yemen on July 16. Accused of murdering a Yemeni national, Nimisha has been sentenced to death, but her legal team has now turned to India’s Supreme Court in a last-ditch effort to intervene.

Supreme Court Issues Notice to Attorney General

In a significant development, the Supreme Court has agreed to urgently hear Nimisha's case. It has issued a notice to Attorney General R Venkataramani, seeking the Indian government's official response to her lawyer's plea. The petition urges the government to engage Yemen through diplomatic channels to try to commute her death sentence or delay the execution.

The apex court has scheduled a hearing for July 14, just two days before her scheduled hanging.

What the Petition Demands

Filed by advocate Subhash Chandran K.R., the plea does not ask the Indian courts to interfere directly in Yemen’s legal proceedings but instead urges:

• Diplomatic intervention by India.

• Exploration of "blood money" provisions under Sharia law, which could offer a path to clemency if accepted by the victim’s family.

• Immediate efforts to halt the execution until negotiations can be initiated.

What Is ‘Blood Money’?

Under Yemen’s Sharia-based legal system, if a murder is considered unintentional, the victim's family can forgive the accused in exchange for monetary compensation, known as diya or blood money. If the family agrees, the death penalty can be waived or reduced.

"1765" data-end="2312">Nimisha is a trained nurse from Kerala who moved to Yemen for work.She later started a clinic, but to legally operate it, she had to partner with a local Yemeni citizen, Talal Abdo Mahdi.The relationship reportedly soured, and according to her family, Talal seized Nimisha’s passport.In an attempt to retrieve it, Nimisha is alleged to have injected Talal with an anesthetic, resulting in his death due to overdose.She was arrested while attempting to flee and later sentenced to death by Yemen’s President. Will the Execution Be Stopped?

While the situation remains grave, the Supreme Court's intervention provides a narrow window of hope. If the Indian government responds swiftly and engages with Yemen diplomatically, and if negotiations over blood money can be initiated, there is a possibility the execution could be stayed or the sentence commuted.