“Govt Has Reached Its Limit”: India Tells Supreme Court Ahead of Nurse Nimisha Priya’s Scheduled Execution in Yemen

New Delhi: With the clock ticking down to the scheduled execution of Kerala nurse Nimisha Priya in Yemen on July 16, the Indian government informed the Supreme Court on Monday that it has very limited options to intervene further, citing the absence of diplomatic relations with the war-torn country and the sensitive political environment under Houthi control.

Representing the Centre, Attorney General R Venkataramani stated that the government has done all it can, and negotiations for blood money — the only possible route to avoid execution under Yemeni law — are a private matter between Priya’s family and the victim’s kin, not something the Indian state can legally intervene in.

“Yemen is not diplomatically recognized, and this case falls under a highly sensitive zone. There’s a point beyond which the Indian government cannot act,” the AG told the court.

Nimisha Priya, originally from Palakkad, Kerala, has been convicted of drugging and murdering her Yemeni business partner, Talal Abdo Mehdi, in 2017. The gruesome case drew widespread attention after reports emerged that she had attempted to sedate the victim to retrieve her passport, which he had allegedly confiscated. The situation escalated fatally, and she was accused of murder, body mutilation, and concealment of a corpse.

Since her arrest, Nimisha has denied the murder charge, claiming self-defense and coercion, citing abuse and financial control by the victim. However, Yemeni courts dismissed her appeals, and she has been held in Sana’a Central Prison, awaiting execution.

The Indian government, along with NGOs and civil society groups, has reportedly attempted back-channel negotiations involving local Sheikhs and influential intermediaries in Yemen. However, Talal’s family has reportedly refused blood money, blocking the only available legal path under Yemeni Sharia law to commute her death sentence.

Officials also highlighted the unique complexity of the case, as the region is under the control of Houthi rebels, who do not have formal diplomatic ties with India or most of the international community. This has hampered direct legal, diplomatic, or consular intervention.