Supreme Court Agrees to Hear Urgent Plea to Halt Execution of Kerala Nurse in Yemen.
The Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to urgently hear a petition seeking to halt the execution of Kerala nurse Nimisha Priya, who faces capital punishment in Yemen. Her execution is scheduled for July 16.
A bench comprising Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Joymalya Bagchi initially considered listing the matter for July 14. However, Senior Advocate Raghenth Basant, appearing for the petitioner, urged the court to take up the matter earlier, citing the limited time available for diplomatic intervention.
“Kindly list it today or tomorrow. Even diplomatic channels need time. The execution is on July 16,” Basant told the court, as reported by LiveLaw.
The plea was filed by the ‘Save Nimisha Priya Action Council’, which has requested that the Centre be directed to intervene through diplomatic means and secure her release under provisions of Yemeni law.
Basant informed the court that under Shariat law, a death sentence may be commuted if the victim’s family agrees to accept “blood money” — a form of compensation. He said negotiations could be initiated if India acted swiftly.
Background
When asked about the nature of the case, Basant told the bench that Priya had moved to Yemen for employment as a nurse. While there, she faced prolonged abuse and torture at the hands of a local man. He was eventually killed — allegedly by Priya — leading to her conviction and death sentence.
The court has agreed to hear the plea on an urgent basis, and the matter is expected to come up shortly. The petitioner hopes that a timely intervention by the Indian government could open the door to negotiations and save Priya’s life.
Comments are closed.