Save Nimisha Priya Action Council questioned the Union Government's claim that it had done "everything possible" to save Nimisha, saying that the facts suggested otherwise.
Published Jul 11, 2025 | 12:41 PM ⚊ Updated Jul 11, 2025 | 12:41 PM
Nimisha Priya. (Sourced)
Synopsis: The Save Nimisha Priya Action Council condemned the statement of the Union Minister of State for External Affairs, Kirti Vardhan Singh, that $40,000 had been paid to the victim, Talal Abdo Mahdi’s family, as blood money. The council said the victim’s family had not received the ‘pre-negotiation’ fee, and demanded that the government be transparent.
The Save Nimisha Priya Action Council on Friday, 11 July, slammed the Union government for failing to effectively coordinate efforts to save the Malayali nurse on death row in Yemen.
The council also condemned the statement of the Minister of State for External Affairs, Kirti Vardhan Singh, that $40,000 had been paid to the victim, Talal Abdo Mahdi’s family, as blood money.
However, Advocate K Subhash Chandran, counsel for the Save Nimisha Priya Council, clarified that the amount was only a ‘pre-negotiation fee’ sent through a central government account, and it had not yet reached the victim’s family.
He raised concerns over the lack of transparency and questioned what was done with the money.
Chandran further slammed the Union Government’s claim that it had done “everything possible” to save Nimisha, stating that the facts suggested otherwise.
The Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Legislative Assembly, VD Satheesan, has called for urgent and compassionate intervention by the central government to save Priya.
Emphasising the gravity of the situation, Satheesan urged the government to act swiftly and exhaust all possible diplomatic channels to secure a stay on the execution.
He also appealed for comprehensive support to be extended to Priya and her family during this critical time.
Meanwhile, the details of the council’s plea filed in the Supreme Court were forwarded to the office of the Attorney General. The AG’s office reportedly sought a detailed response from the Centre regarding the steps taken to save Nimisha Priya.
The petition was filed on 10 July, seeking an order to the central government to act and stall the execution of Priya.
Senior Advocate Ragenth Basant, assisted by Advocate Chandran, sought an urgent listing of the matter. Under Shariat law, a person can be released if the victim’s family accepts blood money. The petition sought to initiate negotiations to explore the possibility of providing blood money.
The Action Council’s petition also sought a directive to the Union government to secure the nurse’s release.
A bench of Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia and Justice Joymalya Bagchi posted the matter for 14 July. The Action Council’s lawyer pointed out that since media reports said the execution would be carried out on 16 July, hearing the matter on 14 July would not provide enough time for negotiations.
Several media outlets reported that Priya would be executed on 16 July. The reports were based on a statement by a lawyer of Indian origin in Yemen, Samuel Jerome. However, he did not reveal how he had received the information.
Priya was arrested at the Yemen-Saudi Arabia border in August 2017. A month earlier, she had dosed Yemeni national Mahdi with ketamine in a claimed bid to sedate him and retrieve her passport from his possession.
Priya’s act killed Mahdi from a ketamine overdose. Panicked, she sought the help of another nurse, cut up the man’s body, and tossed it into a water tank.
A year before the incident, Priya had approached the Yemeni police. She complained that Mahdi was abusing and torturing her. Nothing happened.
Meanwhile, Priya’s husband Thomas expressed hope that her release was still possible. A key factor fueling the hope, he said, was that the victim’s family had not yet demanded blood money.
“This gives us some hope. The victim’s family has not asked for blood money so far. If they do, we are ready to pay,” Thomas said, after meeting with several authorities including the Governor.
He added that he has been in contact with Priya over the phone and that both the central and state governments were actively intervening. “The Governor has assured us of all possible support. We are waiting with hope,” he said.
Thomas felt an absence of diplomatic ties between India and Yemen was one of the major challenges in securing her release.
