The Central Government on Monday briefed the Supreme Court that its scope to intervene in the case of Kerala nurse Nimisha Priya, who has been sentenced to death in Yemen on July 16, is very much restricted, considering the intricate diplomatic and legal hurdles involved.
In a last-minute appeal for immediate action to rescue Priya from death, Attorney General R. Venkataramani, representing the Centre, elucidated that India had extended itself as far as it could go through official avenues. He asserted that continued progress would now hinge on a "blood money" compromise between Priya's representatives and the victim's family.
"There is not much the government can do. Considering the sensitivity of Yemen, it is not diplomatically recognized. Blood money is a private negotiation," Venkataramani told the bench.
The Supreme Court, upon hearing submissions made by both Priya's lawyers and the Attorney General, fixed the case for further hearing on July 18. "The parties can inform the Court on the next date as to the position of the case," observed the bench in its order.
The plea had asked the Court to direct the Government of India to initiate diplomatic negotiations in an attempt to obtain a reprieve for Priya, who was convicted of murdering a Yemeni citizen and is liable for the death sentence—a sentence affirmed by Yemen's highest court in November 2023.
Priya's supporters told the court that the last option left for saving her life was through negotiating a blood money deal with the victim's family. They, however, highlighted the challenge by commenting that Priya's mother, who is in Yemen working as a domestic worker, does not have much capacity to negotiate or exert influence on the family.
"We are asking the Centre to speak to the family of the victim. The disbursal of funds is in our hands. Today, the only way to escape the death penalty is to persuade the family," Priya's lawyer explained.
Justice Sandeep Mehta recognized the emotional significance of the case, saying, "This is a sensitive matter. But what will the court do here?" He further stated, "If she loses her life, it will be very saddening."
The Court once again stressed that the Government is trying all avenues of diplomacy. The Attorney General reiterated that negotiation is going on with Yemeni authorities, including the public prosecutor, in a bid to postpone the execution long enough so as to facilitate further negotiations.
Still, he warned that there are realistic limitations. "This is not a case where the government can be asked to do anything else other than this; it is very unfortunate," he told the court. Reiterating the petitioner's invitation to plain conversation, the AG added, "It may be a question of more money; we do not know. It seems that there is a kind of deadlock."
Justice Vikram Nath also queried the petitioner's side, inquiring what precisely the Court was supposed to instruct the government to do at this stage.
In return, the senior counsel replied the sole appeal was that someone from the Indian government could sit down and talk. "The local embassy authorities go to the Yemen prison with the mother. Even good-hearted individuals can visit there and speak. Anybody from the government can speak. This is the little thing that we are demanding."
The AG again emphasized the gravity of the matter, calling it "a very complex issue" and conceding, "There's no way we can know what's happening [in Yemen]."
In the meantime, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take urgent action to save Nimisha Priya's life. The CM made a reference to a previous letter to the Union Minister for External Affairs, dated March 24, 2025, and emphasized the urgency of the situation in the wake of reports in the media confirming the date of the execution.
"Please find enclosed my letter to the Union Minister for External Affairs dated March 24, 2025. It is understood from the Media that the hanging of Smt. Nimisha Priya Tomy Thomas has been scheduled on July 16, 2025. Given the circumstances that the case is a sympathetic one, I request the Hon'ble Prime Minister to take it up and try to stop the authorities from executing Nimisha Priya," Vijayan wrote.
With the hanging date approaching, everyone's eyes are still on the diplomatic process under way and if a blood money deal—hinging on the victim's family agreeing to it—can still be the savior.
