SC to hear plea against unverified public statements in Kerala nurse case

New Delhi | The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear a plea for directions to restrain persons, organisations and others from making "unverified public statements" about the case of Indian nurse and murder accused Nimisha Priya who is on death row in Yemen.

A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta told the petitioner to serve a copy of the plea to the office of Attorney General R Venkataramani.

The bench issued notice on the plea and posted the matter for August 25.

Petitioner K A Paul, who appeared in person, said he had received a "shocking letter" from Priya and he was in Yemen for past several days.

"Her mother is taking care, why are you worried?" the bench asked Paul.

The petitioner said the letter was signed by Priya and her mother.

"Both sides respect me as a peacemaker. Since 1992, I am going to Yemen. Problem there is the war. Problem there is that she was caught and she was a victim," he said.

The petitioner said he had spoken to the victim's family, the Houthis leadership and others over the issue.

He claimed Priya has urged for legal intervention to enforce a complete media gag order in the case.

He said at present, delicate negotiations were going on in the matter and some individuals were making false statements.

The bench said the plea would be tagged with a similar pending petition filed by organisation Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council, which is extending legal support to Priya.

"What more do you want? You can only get a notice and tagging with that matter which is pending here," the bench told the petitioner.

The petitioner said there should be a complete gag order or "let the government speak".

The plea has sought a direction to the Centre to take immediate, coordinated diplomatic measures with Yemen to secure commutation of the death penalty into life imprisonment.

Besides other directives, it has also sought a direction to the concerned authorities to move a competent court for a comprehensive, time-bound media gag order restraining all persons and others from publishing any unverified contents or statements without prior confirmation from authorised government agency involved in negotiations.

On August 14, the top court was informed by the counsel for the petitioner organisation that there was "no immediate threat" to Priya.

The apex court was then hearing a separate plea seeking a direction to the Centre to use diplomatic channels to save the 38-year-old nurse from Palakkad in Kerala who was convicted of murdering her Yemeni business partner in 2017.

The top court was apprised last month that Priya's execution, which was scheduled for July 16, had been stayed.

On July 18, the Centre informed the top court that efforts were on and the government was trying everything possible to ensure Priya came out safely.

Priya was convicted in 2017, sentenced to death in 2020 and her final appeal was rejected in 2023.

She is imprisoned in a jail in the Yemen capital Sana'a