Boby Chemmanur to contribute to fund for Nimisha Priya's release; amount announced

THRISSUR: Businessman Boby Chemmanur has announced that he will contribute to the fund for the release of Nimisha Priya, a Malayali nurse who is currently in a Yemeni prison awaiting execution. Boby Chemmanur reportedly reached out to the family of the murder victim, Talal Abdo Mahdi, through a Yemeni mediator. According to sources, the victim’s family has expressed willingness to accept "blood money" in return for granting forgiveness.

The compensation demanded by the family is said to be around Rs 8 crore. Meanwhile, Yemeni authorities had earlier scheduled Nimisha’s execution for July 16. The directive, issued by the country’s Public Prosecutor’s Office, came even as efforts to secure her release were underway.

Nimisha Priya, hailing from Palakkad in Kerala, was accused of killing a Yemeni national while employed in the country. With all legal remedies reportedly exhausted, a pardon from the victim’s family remains her only chance to avoid execution. The crime took place in July 2017, and she was arrested a month later.

As per the case details, Nimisha and an accomplice allegedly murdered the man and concealed the body in a rooftop water tank. After the trial concluded, she was sentenced to death in 2018.