Death sentence of Nimisha Priya: Issues including handing over blood money complicated, centre for top level intervention 

NEW DELHI: The Centre is all set to conduct a high-level intervention in the case of Nimisha Priya, a Malayali nurse sentenced to death in the case of killing a Yemeni citizen. External Affairs Ministry sources have informed that they are monitoring the matter. The sources of the external affairs ministry have informed that they are providing all possible assistance to Nimisha Priya's family and are trying to contact the local administration. Only a week is left for efforts to be taken for her release. Therefore, information received from the central government says that issues including handing over of blood money are complicated.

It is reported that she will be executed on July 16. Nimisha Priya of Kollengode in Palakkad, is in a jail in Sana'a. The trial court had rejected her request for leniency. The appeal was also rejected by the Yemeni Supreme Court in November.

Efforts were being made by human rights activists to avoid the death sentence by providing compensation to the family members of the dead and accept forgiveness. There is only a slight possibility of pardon from the family. Her mother Prema Kumari, has been in Yemen for months to save her daughter's life.

She was awarded death sentence for murdering Talal Abdul Mahdi in July 2017. Sanaa, the capital of Yemen, which is in the midst of a civil war, is under the control of Houthi rebels. The Indian embassy is in neighbouring Djibouti.

Nimisha Priya went to Yemen as a nurse in 2012 after marrying Tommy of Thodupuzha. After meeting Talal Abdul Mahdi, the two decided to start a clinic as partners. They transferred all their savings. Nimisha Priya, who had come home with her family to earn more money, returned alone.

Talal had made others believe that Nimisha Priya was his wife. He made a fake marriage certificate. He also performed the marriage according to religious rituals by threatening her. He stole her passport and sold her gold. Nimisha Priya, who filed a complaint, was brutally beaten. Nimisha Priya's statement is that Mahdi died when she defended him at a point when her life was in danger.