A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court of India seeking immediate diplomatic action to save Keralite nurse Nimisha Priya, who faces execution in Yemen on July 16. The plea was submitted by the Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council and requests the Union Government to initiate urgent negotiations for the payment of “blood money,” a provision under Shariah law allowing clemency from the victim’s family in exchange for financial compensation.
Senior Advocate Ragenth Basant, representing the petitioner, mentioned the matter before a bench comprising Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Joymalya Bagchi on Thursday, the India Today reported. He stressed the urgency, pointing out that while Nimisha’s appeal was dismissed by the first appellate court in Yemen, the court had left open the possibility of a blood money settlement.
Supreme Court Agrees to Hear Case on July 14 Amid Diplomatic Time Constraints
Responding to the petition, the bench inquired about steps already taken to aid Nimisha. The petitioner’s counsel informed the court that earlier representations had been made to the Central Government, but time was now critical due to the approaching execution date.
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Although the bench initially proposed a Monday hearing, the counsel pushed for an earlier listing, citing the extended timeline that diplomatic negotiations may require. The court eventually agreed to hear the matter on July 14.
Nimisha Priya was sentenced to death for the 2017 murder of Yemeni national Talal Abdo Mahdi. Reports suggest she allegedly injected him with sedatives in an attempt to retrieve her passport from his possession.
