30-07-2025
Nimisha Priya case: Claims made by Kerala-based cleric incorrect; avoid speculation, say govt sources
Days after the Grand Mufti of India, Kanthapuram AP Aboobacker Musaliyar, claimed that Kerala nurse Nimisha Priya's death sentence in Yemen has been overturned, government sources said that the claims are incorrect, reported PTI on Wednesday.
The government sources also advised that any speculation on this sensitive matter should be avoided.
'We have seen reports making claims regarding the case of Nimisha Priya. These are incorrect. We urge people to avoid misinformation and speculation on the sensitive matter," PTI quoted government sources as saying.
The clarification came after the Grand Mufti reportedly said the Prime Minister's Office and the Ministry of External Affairs are aware of his efforts in the Priya case.
On Monday, reports citing a statement from the office of Kanthapuram AP Abubakr Musliyar said the decision to completely cancel the death sentence was made during a high-level meeting held in Yemen's capital, Sanaa.
LiveMint couldn't verify the Grand Mufti's statement.
However, Indian officials handling the case have not confirmed the development so far.
The 37-year-old Indian nurse from Kerala, Nimisha Priya, was scheduled to be executed on July 16, after she was convicted of killing a Yemeni national in June 2018, a decision that was upheld by the country's Supreme Judicial Council in November 2023.
Originally scheduled to happen on July 16, her execution was halted temporarily just a day before that date.
She was convicted of murdering her Yemeni business partner, Talal Abdo Mahdi, in 2017. She was sentenced to death in 2020, and her final appeal was rejected in 2023.
