Nimisha Priya case: $40,000 paid, but Talal's family yet to receive blood money, says lawyer
The first instalment of $20,000 was paid several months ago, but due to the lack of a positive response, the second instalment was delayed.
The first instalment of $20,000 was paid several months ago, but due to the lack of a positive response, the second instalment was delayed.
The first instalment of $20,000 was paid several months ago, but due to the lack of a positive response, the second instalment was delayed.
Thiruvananthapuram: Even as Iran expresses readiness to mediate for the release of Nimisha Priya, a Malayali nurse on death row in Yemen, uncertainty continues regarding clemency. Nimisha Priya’s lawyer, Subhas Chandran, stated that $40,000 (approximately Rs 34 lakh) was demanded in advance by Yemeni tribal leaders for initiating negotiations.
The first instalment of $20,000 was paid several months ago, but due to the lack of a positive response, the second instalment was delayed. The second payment of $20,000 was handed over in late December through the Indian diplomatic mission in Saudi Arabia, which facilitated the mediation. However, within three days, reports emerged that Yemeni President had ratified Nimisha Priya’s death sentence, Subhas Chandran said.
Nimisha Priya, hailing from Kollangode in Palakkad, has been imprisoned in Sana’a since 2017 for the murder of Talal Abdul Mahdi, a Yemeni citizen. Subhash Chandran said that Talal's family claims not to have received any portion of the $40,000 paid as diya (blood money). He also noted the lack of bilateral relations between Indian authorities and the Houthi administration as a critical challenge in the matter.
India currently has no functioning embassy in Yemen. Subhas Chandran highlighted that Iran's willingness to mediate could play a decisive role in securing Nimisha Priya’s release. The only viable option, he stated, is to pay blood money to Talal’s family to secure clemency. The exact amount of money required will be determined by Talal’s family.
Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal confirmed that they are aware of the death sentence and assured full support to the family.
Meanwhile, the Yemeni President's approval of Nimisha Priya’s death sentence has drawn sharp criticism against the Save Nimisha Priya Action Committee. Human rights activist Samuel Jerome remarked that the opportunity for negotiations had passed because the committee failed to pay the second instalment on time. The delay caused Talal’s family to lose trust in the discussions. Jerome lamented that the opportunity was missed when it was available, leaving no viable path now.
Nimisha Priya’s mother, Premakumari, who has been in Yemen for months seeking her daughter’s release, remains heartbroken and uncertain about the next steps. Premakumari, who travelled to Yemen on April 20 this year, visited her daughter in prison twice so far.
Nimisha Priya arrived in Yemen in 2011 and started a clinic in Sana’a in 2015 under the sponsorship of Talal. Due to financial difficulties, her husband and child returned to India in 2014. Talal allegedly forged documents claiming to have married Nimisha Priya and began subjecting her to physical and mental abuse. He reportedly confiscated her passport, threatened her, and extorted money.
In a desperate attempt to retrieve her passport and escape, Nimisha Priya planned to drug Talal. However, reports indicate that he died during the attempt. She was arrested in July 2017, charged with Talal’s murder, allegedly committed with an accomplice. The trial court sentenced her to death in 2020, and subsequent appeals were dismissed by various courts. Yemen's Supreme Judicial Council upheld the death sentence in 2023.