The Supreme Court of India on Thursday agreed to urgently hear a petition seeking the Centre's immediate diplomatic intervention to stop the July 16 execution of Kerala nurse Nimisha Priya in Yemen. The court scheduled the hearing for July 14, just two days before the scheduled execution.
The plea was filed by the Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council, urging the government to use diplomatic channels to negotiate a possible ‘blood money’ settlement under Shariah law. This option could allow the victim's family to pardon Nimisha in exchange for compensation, potentially sparing her life.
Appearing for the petitioners, Senior Advocate Ragenth Basant underscored the urgency of the matter, given the rapidly approaching execution date. Taking note of the seriousness, the Supreme Court has directed that the petition be served to the Attorney General and asked the Centre to submit a report on any diplomatic steps taken so far.
Nimisha Priya, who hails from Kerala, was convicted in 2017 for the murder of her Yemeni business partner. With all legal avenues in Yemen exhausted, the plea before India’s top court represents a last-minute effort to intervene through diplomatic means.
(This story is published from a syndicated feed)