Nimisha Priya death sentence: SC seeks Centre’s response on Kerala nurse’s plea; hearing on Monday

The Supreme Court on Thursday issued a notice to the Attorney General of India, seeking the Government of India’s response to the petition filed by 37-year-old Kerala nurse Nimisha Priya, who is facing death sentence for murder in Yemen and scheduled to be executed on July 16.

The notice was issued by a vacation bench of the the apex court in response to a plea filed by Priya’s lawyer seeking urgent hearing in the case as her execution date nears.

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In the petition, her cousel stated that Indian government can explore diplomatic options to defend the Kerala nurse. It also mentioned the “blood money” negotiations under the Sharia Law in Yemen that can commute her sentence.

The bench has listed the matter for hearing on Monday.

The development come days after reports claimed that Priya would be executed on July 16.

A native of Palakkad in Kerala, Nimisha Priya was convicted of murdering Yemeni citizen Talal Abido Mehdi and handed out death sentence by a local court in Yemen in June 2018.

The death sentence issued by the trial court was upheld by Yemen’s Supreme Judicial Council in November 2023.

However, the ruling allowed for the possibility of clemency through the payment of “diya”—a form of blood money—to the victim’s family.

The 38-year-old worked as a nurse for several years in Yemen. With Talal’s support, she ran a clinic in Yemen. Reportedly, she faced mental, physical, and financial abuse, which she could not tolerate for long, and murdered him.