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Nimisha Priya Execution: Just two days before the scheduled execution of Kerala nurse Nimisha Priya in Yemen, the government on Monday informed the Supreme Court that there is "nothing much" it can do to save her. The nurse from Palakkad is scheduled to be hanged on July 16, 2025, in Yemen’s capital Sanaa after she was found guilty of murdering a Yemeni citizen, Talal Abdo Mahdi, in 2017. The government however said it was trying its best to save Nimisha through private channels.

The matter was before a bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta.

"There's nothing much government can do...looking at sensitivity of Yemen...it's not diplomatically recognized...blood money is a private negotiation...There's a point till which government of India can go. We have reached that point. Yemen is not like any other part of the world. We didn't want to complicate situation by going too much public, we are trying to do as much as possible at private level...the government is also engaged with some Shaikh, who are very influential people there, all that is being done..." AG Venkataramani, the government's counsel said, as quoted by LiveLaw.

The top court expressed sadness over the Centre's response. 

Justice Sandeep Mehta noted that the case is "sensitive" in nature and indeed a "sad" one. "Real cause of concern is the stance of the girl...the manner in which the incident took place, and inspite thereof, if she loses her life, that is really sad", the judge remarked.

The case has been mired with diplomatic and legal complexities and despite the efforts of the Indian government, no positive result has been achieved so far.

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Kerala CM Writes To PM Modi

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday took to X to share his letter seeking PM Modi's intervention in Nimisha Priya case.

“Wrote to Hon'ble PM Shri @narendramodi Ji urging urgent intervention to secure the release of Nimisha Priya, who remains imprisoned in Yemen. The Govt of Kerala stands firmly with all those working towards her exoneration and safe return,” CM Pinarayi Vijayan posted.

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All About Nimisha Priya Case

Nimisha has been convicted of murdering her business partner and is serving her sentence in Sanaa prison. Nimisha had partnered with Talal Abdo Mahdi in 2016, to open a clinic. She later alleged that Abdo Mahdi claimed to be married to her and had forged the marriage documents. He harassed her sexually and mentally, and snatched her passport, holding her hostage. In 2017, Nimisha planned to flee to India. She tried to get her passport back after administering sedatives to Mahdi. However, an overdose led to Mahdi’s death. After this, with the help of a local woman, Hanan, they cut the body into pieces and hid him in a water tank.

She was found guilty of murder in 2018, following which a trial court ordered Nimisha Priya's death sentence in 2020. The sentence was confirmed by Yemen's Supreme Judicial Council in November 2023. The same year, Yemeni President Rashad al-Alimi also gave his final approval to it. Although Yemeni law provides for amnesty through "diya", attempts to reach a settlement with the victim's family in September 2024 also failed.