SC to take up plea to save nurse Nimisha Priya from execution in Yemen on Monday

The Supreme Court on Monday will take up a petition seeking a direction to the Centre to make last-ditch efforts through diplomatic channels to save Indian nurse Nimisha Priya, who is likely to be executed in Yemen on July 16 for committing a murder.

The petition filed by ‘Save Nimisha Priya Action Council’ is likely to be taken up by a Bench of Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta on July 14.

“Considering the nature and urgency of the case, we request the Union of India/Central Government to apprise this Court through the learned Attorney General as to the steps taken in the case by the Government of India, if any,” a Bench led by Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia had said on July 10, directing listing of the matter before an appropriate Bench on July 14 after the petition was mentioned by senior advocate Regenth Basant for urgent hearing.

According to Sharia law, a person can be released if the relatives of the victim agreed to accept "blood money", Basant told the Bench, urging it to ask the Centre to explore such an option to secure her release from Yemen through diplomatic channels.

The 37-year-old Indian nurse from Kerala is scheduled to be executed on July 16. The trial court convicted her of killing the Yemeni national, a decision that was upheld by the country's Supreme Judicial Council in November 2023.

Nimisha Priya was sentenced to death for murdering Yemeni national Talal Abdo Mahdi in 2017 by allegedly injecting him with sedatives to get her passport that the deceased had kept in his possession.

Earlier, MEA official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, "We are aware of the sentencing of Ms. Nimisha Priya in Yemen. We understand that the family of Ms. Priya is exploring relevant options. The government is extending all possible help in the matter."