A critical intervention by India’s top Muslim cleric, Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad, has led to the temporary postponement of the execution of Nimisha Priya, a 37-year-old nurse from Kerala who is on death row in Yemen. The execution, scheduled to take place in Sana’a, was paused after high-level religious outreach efforts involving prominent Yemeni cleric Sheikh Umar bin Hafiz.
The Grand Mufti of India, Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad, directly contacted Sheikh Umar, urging him to speak with the family of Talal Abdol Mehdi, the Yemeni man Priya was convicted of killing. Following this request, Sheikh Umar dispatched his students to engage in dialogue with the victim’s family.
After multiple rounds of discussions, the family agreed to pause the execution for four hours, allowing Priya’s legal team additional time to explore further legal avenues.
Who Is Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad, the Grand Mufti of India?
Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad, also known as Kanthapuram AP Aboobacker Musliyar, is a highly respected religious leader from Kozhikode, Kerala. In February 2019, he was officially conferred the title of Grand Mufti of India by the All India Tanzeem Ulama-e-Islam during a gathering at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan.
This title is honorary and not officially recognized by the Indian government but holds significant influence within the Sunni (Barelvi) Muslim community.
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As Grand Mufti, Sheikh Abubakr is recognized as the 10th individual to hold this title in India. He provides religious guidance, issues fatwas, and actively participates in religious conferences across India and abroad, particularly in the Gulf and Southeast Asia.
He also heads Markaz Knowledge City in Kozhikode, a large educational and cultural township that includes medical and law colleges. His role has placed him at the centre of both religious leadership and social initiatives in the region.
Nimisha Priya’s legal team maintains that the killing was accidental and occurred under conditions of abuse and mental distress. With the execution now postponed, the next few hours are seen as critical for her legal defence.
