NEW DELHI: The mother of Nimisha Priya, an Indian nurse on death row in connection with the murder of a Yemeni citizen, moved an urgent plea before the Delhi High Court seeking permission to travel to the Middle Eastern country to negotiate with the victim’s family by paying ‘blood money’, a last possible intervention to prevent her execution.
Issuing notice in the matter, Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh asked the Centre to seek instructions in the matter and listed it for hearing on Monday before the roster bench.
During the hearing, the counsel for the petitioner informed the court that Priya’s appeal against the death sentence had been dismissed by the Yemen Supreme Court and that her execution could take place anytime.
“The appeal has been dismissed by the Appellate Court and execution can take place any moment. We received the rejection letter yesterday,” he said. The government’s counsel, who sought time to take instructions on the plea, submitted that the authorities are advising the woman’s mother not to visit Yemen as it could be risky. Priya has been convicted of murdering Talal Abdo Mahdi, who died in July 2017, after she injected him with sedatives in order to get back her passport from his possession.
It was alleged that Priya administered him sedatives so she could take back her passport while he was unconscious but he died of an overdose.
Priya’s mother moved the high court earlier this year, seeking permission to go to Yemen in spite of a travel ban for Indian nationals and negotiate the ‘blood money’ to save her daughter.
‘Blood money’ refers to the compensation paid by offenders or their kin to the family of a murder victim.
Subhash Chandran K R, representing the petitioner, said a letter informing about the Supreme Court of Yemen dismissing Priya’s appeal was received on Friday and her execution can take place anytime.
The lawyer said the petitioner was not asking the government to pay ‘blood money’ and was only seeking permission to travel to Yemen.
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