As the clock ticks down to July 16—the scheduled date for Kerala nurse Nimisha Priya's execution in Yemen—the Centre informed the Supreme Court on Monday that negotiating a blood money settlement remains the "only viable option" to save her life. The Centre's statement came during a hearing before a Supreme Court bench led by Justice Sandeep Mehta, where Attorney General R Venkataramani described the matter as "a very complex issue", highlighting the challenges India faces given the lack of diplomatic ties with Yemen.

Centre Cites Diplomatic Hurdles

"There's no way we can know what's happening [in Yemen]," the AG said, adding that while the Indian government has written to the Yemeni public prosecutor to seek a suspension or deferral of the execution, the space for diplomatic intervention is extremely limited.

The apex court had previously asked the Centre to provide details on what steps had been taken in the case. On Monday, it noted that the "parties may apprise the Court on the next date about the status of the case", with the next hearing scheduled for July 18, two days after the date Priya is tentatively set to be executed.

Kerala Nurse Nimisha Priya Held in Sana'a Prison Since 2017

Priya, a nurse from Kerala's Palakkad district, has been held in Sana'a Central Prison since 2017 after being convicted of murdering Yemeni national Talal Abdo Mahdi. A trial court in Sanaa handed her the death sentence in 2020, and the verdict was upheld by Yemen’s Supreme Judicial Council in November 2023. However, the council had left room for a blood money settlement, as permitted under Sharia law.
According to a government source cited in court today, 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".

What Is 'Blood Money' Settlement?

Blood money, known as diya under Islamic law, is a form of financial compensation paid to the family of a victim by the offender or their representatives in cases of murder or bodily harm. In countries like Yemen that follow Sharia law, the acceptance of blood money by the victim's family can lead to a pardon and halt the implementation of a death sentence. However, it is entirely at the discretion of the victim's family to accept or reject the offer, and the state cannot compel a settlement.

Action Council Seeks Diplomatic Intervention

Priya's mother, Prema Kumari, has travelled to Yemen in a last-ditch effort to negotiate with the victim's family. Her attempts have been supported by the Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council, a collective of Indian-origin social workers operating in the region. The Council is also the petitioner in the case before the Supreme Court, seeking urgent diplomatic intervention.
The apex court took up the matter after senior advocate Raghenth Basant mentioned it for urgent hearing.
In its plea, the Council requested the government to "facilitate effective diplomatic interventions to save the life of Nimisha Priya" and "facilitate negotiations with the victim's family for paying blood money."

Kerala CM Appeals To PM Narendra Modi

Meanwhile, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has renewed his appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging immediate action. In a letter sent on Sunday, he wrote,
"Because this is a case deserving sympathy, I appeal to the Hon’ble Prime Minister to take up the matter and intervene with the authorities concerned to save the life of Smt. Nimisha Priya."
Vijayan referred to earlier requests made to the Centre in February and March 2025, urging humanitarian consideration.

Case Background

Priya had moved to Yemen in 2008 and worked in hospitals before setting up her clinic. In 2017, she got into a dispute with her business partner, Mahdi, allegedly over misappropriated funds. According to her family, she injected him with sedatives to recover her confiscated passport, but the dosage proved fatal. She was arrested while trying to flee the country and later convicted of murder.
(With inputs from agencies)