Plea filed in SC requests Centre’s intervention to save Nimisha Priya from jail

NEW DELHI: With only days left for the execution of Malayali nurse Nimisha Priya jailed in Yemen, a plea has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking the intervention of the central government to avoid it. The plea was filed by the Save Nimisha Priya Action Council. The Supreme Court will consider the plea filed by lawyer K R Subhash Chandran on July 14. The action council has demanded immediate diplomatic intervention to prevent her execution.

Samuel and the Save Nimisha Priya Action Committee are intervening in four ways. The union ministry of external affairs is also in the forefront of this. Samuel said the first attempt is to temporarily freeze the order issued the other day for at least a month. He will leave for Sanaa today for this purpose.

Efforts are also being made to meet the family of the slain Yemeni citizen Talal Abdu Mehdi. A meeting was held six months ago. The challenge is that some of his family members are unwilling to forgive. Meantime, the ministry of external affairs is continuing to communicate with Iran. Nimisha Priya is in a prison in Yemen under the control of the Houthis, a rebel group. The aim is to take advantage of the good relations between Iran and the Houthis. Similar efforts have been made in the past.

The Save Nimisha Priya Action Council is ready to give about 1 million dollars (8.6 crores) as blood money. Talal's family has not yet demanded a ransom. If they pardon her within a certain period of time, her release will be possible. Nimisha Priya's mother Prema Kumari, who is in Yemen under Samuel's care, also heard about her execution. Prema Kumari reached Sanaa in April last year. She met her daughter in prison on April 24. Samuel is seeking the possibility of visiting Nimisha Priya in prison.