- By Nidhi Giri
- Tue, 31 Dec 2024 10:46 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
Nimisha Priya Death Row: India is “extending all possible help" to Nimisha Priya, a nurse from Kerala, after Yemen President Rashad al-Alimi sanctioned her death sentence for allegedly murdering a Yemeni citizen. India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that the government is aware of the sentencing of Nimisha Priya in Yemen.
“We understand that the family of Priya is exploring relevant options. The government is extending all possible help in the matter," Jaiswal said.
Nimisha Priya was found guilty of killing Yemeni national Talal Abdo Mahdi and has been in prison since 2017. She was sentenced to death by a trial court in Yemen in 2018 and her family has been fighting for her release since then. Her family has sought a "blood money" deal, a compensation arrangement recognised under Yemen's Shariah law to secure her release.
According to The New Indian Express, Nimisha’s 57-year-old mother, Prema Kumari, had reached Yemen’s capital Sana’a earlier this year, and has been staying there to secure a waiver of the death penalty and negotiate the blood money with the victim's family.
She was provided assistance by the Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council comprising NRI social workers based in Yemen, the report added.
The publication mentioned that negotiations with Nimisha’s family reached a dead end in September this year after the lawyer engaged by the Indian Embassy demanded more funds, part of which were raised by the Action council.
“We worked tirelessly to save Nimisha Priya’s life, but our efforts ended in vain. We managed to collect 40,000 dollars (around Rs 34,20,000), and were prepared to raise even more to save her. Along with the Action council, the chief minister, the leader of opposition, former union minister and various leaders across political lines joined hands in this effort," Nenmara MLA K Babu was quoted.
Nimisha Priya, in 2014, came in contact with Talal Abdo Mahdi, who promised to help her in starting her own clinic as a partnership was required under the Yemeni law. She set up a clinic in 2015, with the help of Mahdi.
Soon, differences cropped up between her and Mahdi and she had alleged abuse, torture by him and taking away her passport, making her trip back to her home state impossible. Mahdi also misrepresented himself as her husband to the Yemeni authorities, due to which she couldn’t get any aid from them, as per reports.
In a bid to reclaim her passport confiscated by Talal Abdo Mahdi, she allegedly injected him with sedatives. However, an overdose of the sedative resulted in his death.