NEW DELHI: With Yemen having upheld the death sentence awarded earlier to a Kerala nurse, Indian govt said it's extending all possible help to the woman identified as Nimisha Priya. "We are aware of the sentencing of Nimisha Priya in Yemen. We understand that the family of Priya is exploring relevant options. Govt is extending all possible help in the matter," said MEA.
Priya's death sentence was recently approved by Yemen President Rashad al-Alimi. Reports indicate that the execution could take place within a month, leaving the family in shock and racing against time to save her.
Priya, hailing from Kollengode in Kerala's Palakkad district, was handed capital punishment for allegedly murdering a Yemeni citizen.
She had moved to Yemen in 2008 to support her daily-wage labourer parents. She worked in several hospitals and eventually decided to open her own clinic. In 2017, a dispute arose between her and her Yemeni business partner, Talal Abdo Mahdi, after she reportedly opposed his alleged attempts to misappropriate funds. According to her family, Priya allegedly injected Mahdi with sedatives to retrieve her confiscated passport. Tragically, an overdose led to his death.
She was arrested while attempting to flee the country and was convicted of murder in 2018. In 2020, a trial court in Sanaa sentenced her to death, and Yemen's Supreme Judicial Council upheld the verdict in Nov 2023, though it left open the option of blood money. The case has drawn widespread attention and raised concerns over the fate of Indian nationals abroad as the family and supporters continue their efforts to save Priya from the death penalty.