SC to hear plea for saving nurse on Yemen death row

NEW DELHI: Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to hear a plea seeking a directive to Centre to use diplomatic channels to save an Indian nurse from execution for murder in Yemen on July 16. A bench of Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Joymalya Bagchi posted the matter for hearing on July 14.

"Considering the nature and urgency of the case, we request Centre to apprise this court through the Attorney General as to the steps taken in this case by the govt, if any," the bench said. Senior advocate Ragenth Basant submitted that payment of blood money to family of the deceased was permissible under Sharia law and that could be explored, as the victim's kin may pardon her if blood money is paid.

Nimisha Priya, 38, a nurse from Palakkad of Kerala, was convicted of murder of her Yemeni business partner in 2017.

She was sentenced to death in 2020, and her final appeal was rejected in 2023. She is currently imprisoned in a jail in Sana'a, the capital of Yemen.