New Delhi, July 14: The Supreme Court on Monday heard an urgent plea seeking to halt the execution of Keralite nurse Nimisha Priya in Yemen, scheduled for July 16. The petition, filed by the Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council, urged the Indian government to intervene and negotiate a blood money settlement to save her life.
Attorney General of India R. Venkataramani informed the court that while the government is doing its best, there are serious diplomatic limitations. “There’s nothing much the government can do,” he said, citing Yemen's lack of diplomatic recognition and the highly sensitive nature of the case.
Venkataramani explained that blood money — the legal mechanism that could potentially spare Priya's life — is considered a private negotiation between the accused and the victim’s family, outside the purview of governmental intervention.
“We’ve reached the limits of what the Indian government can do,” the AG told the bench of Justices Sandeep Mehta and Vikram Nath. He added that Indian officials have already approached Yemen’s public prosecutor requesting a suspension of the execution, but with no success. “It seems nothing matters to the Yemeni government,” he said.
Petitioners Urge Further Negotiation
The petitioners stressed that their request was simple: that Indian officials assist Nimisha Priya’s mother in negotiations with the victim’s family. “All we are asking is for someone from the government to help facilitate this,” said the counsel for the petitioner. He highlighted that embassy officials had already accompanied Priya’s mother to the jail in Yemen.
The Centre acknowledged that the issue may now boil down to the amount of blood money being demanded. “It may be a question of more money — we don’t know. But it seems to be at a standstill,” the government’s counsel said.
Last Hope: Blood Money Settlement
The petitioners reiterated that the only remaining hope lies in reaching a blood money settlement, provided the victim’s family agrees. “It’s now a matter of convincing them,” the counsel said.
However, the Centre told the court that the victim’s family has refused to accept any settlement so far, citing “honour” as the reason. “We don’t know if more money will change their stance. But as of now, the situation is at a deadlock,” Venkataramani concluded.
With two days left until her execution, Priya's family is trying to negotiate 'blood money' with the victim’s family, so she can be pardoned in terms of Sharia law. Reportedly, an offer of 1 million dollars ( ₹8.6 crore) has been made to the Yemeni family.
