'Grave Allegations': Efforts To Seek Relief For Indian Nurse On Death Row In Yemen Hindered
Nimisha Priya's family and different political organisations from her home state of Kerala have called on the Centre to make all possible diplomatic efforts to save her
The charges against Indian nurse Nimisha Priya, who is on death row in Yemen, are so grave that all legal efforts to seek relief for her have been difficult so far. Her family and different political organisations from her home state of Kerala have called on the central government to make all possible diplomatic efforts to save her.
According to sources, however, the gravity of charges against Nimisha Priya has made this difficult. She is likely to be executed on July 16 in Yemen.
'The family of the deceased, Talal Abdo Mehdi, is not even willing to accept blood money. All legal efforts have been made for Nimisha Priya, but the allegations against her were so grave that all efforts have failed," a source said.
Yemeni court documents show that in July 2017, Nimisha allegedly drugged and murdered Mehdi, her local business partner, and, with the help of another nurse, chopped up his body and disposed of the parts in an underground tank.
The sources said after the murder was discovered, she was arrested and allegedly confessed to the killing in one of her statements. The trial court in Sanaa sentenced her to death, following which she challenged this verdict before the highest court in Yemen but her appeal was rejected and the death sentence upheld. She then appealed for mercy to the President, but he refused to grant her a pardon, the sources added.
WHAT IS THE GOVERNMENT DOING?
The ministry of external affairs (MEA) has said it is closely monitoring the developments in the case and is extending all possible help.
The Supreme Court, meanwhile, will hear on Monday (July 14) a plea seeking a direction to the Centre to use diplomatic channels to save the Indian nurse. A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta is likely to hear the matter, which was mentioned for urgent hearing on July 10 with advocate Subhash Chandran KR saying diplomatic channels need to be explored at the earliest.
The sources further said Nimisha was working in Yemen as a nurse since 2008 and had travelled to the country with her husband Tommy Thomas after their marriage in 2011. Due to the civil war in Yemen in 2014, her husband returned to Kerala with their daughter while she stayed on.
(With PTI inputs)
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