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NDTV
20 hours ago
- Politics
- NDTV
How Kerala Nurse Sentenced To Death In Yemen Got Reprieve
New Delhi: The life of Kerala-based nurse Nimisha Priya - who was facing execution in Yemen - has been temporarily spared thanks to the timely intervention of prominent religious figures across two countries. The Grand Mufti of India, Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad, had reached out to renowned Yemeni cleric Sheikh Umar bin Hafiz to intercede with the family of Talal Abdol Mehdi - Priya's Yemeni employer whom she killed inadvertently. According to Hussain Saquafi, Deputy Mufti and close aide to Sheikh Abubakr, Sheikh Umar bin Hafiz responded positively and dispatched his students to personally engage with Talal's family. Following rounds of intense negotiations, the victim's family eventually agreed to pause the execution for four hours, giving fresh hope to Priya and her legal team. Shia-Sunni Divide One of the critical factors that played in favour of the talks was the shared Sunni faith between the Yemeni victim's family and the Yemeni cleric. Despite Yemen capital Sanaa being controlled by Houthi rebels - who belong to the Shia sect - the respected Sunni cleric's influence cut through sectarian lines and helped secure the stay. Officials in the Ministry of External Affairs have confirmed that "continuous and quiet" efforts were underway behind the scenes. An embassy official posted in the Saudi embassy, who oversees Yemen affairs, led the outreach. "He remained in contact with Yemeni authorities for months. The Israel-Iran conflict had paused the dialogue briefly, but after tensions cooled, we re-engaged immediately," an official said. India has reportedly offered an extraordinary sum as "diyya" or blood money to the victim's family. "We said that if blood money is 2 crore, we will pay 20 crores and yet the family didn't agree," the source said. Hope For Future Though the execution has only been paused, not cancelled, officials believe this opens the door for renewed dialogue. Negotiations are in progress for a permanent resolution through blood money or legal reprieve. The breakthrough reflects how deep-rooted religious diplomacy and trans-national networks can sometimes succeed where political channels face limitations. Indian Strategy The fresh developments underscore how India quietly leveraged both official and unofficial routes, combining faith diplomacy with diplomatic groundwork, to save one of its own. The religious leaders, though, asserted their contribution. Deputy Mufti Hussain Saquafi said, "Mufti sahab intervened after the Government of India submitted an affidavit in the Supreme Court, expressing its helplessness in saving Nimisha. The Mufti was approached by different politicians of Kerala to speak to the Yemeni cleric, since both have been in good rapport or relations". Sources in the foreign ministry responded with an arch question -- "Can the hanging be stayed over a phone call in a day? It is obvious result of persistent efforts... we have been active for months". The Case Nimisha Priya, a nurse, had gone to in Yemen in 2008, looking for a lucrative job so she could support her parents back in Kerala. Initially, she worked in hospitals but later opened her own clinic and to comply with the local laws, she got a Yemeni business partner -- Talal Abdol Mehdi. But as Mehdi started harassing her - stealing her money and passport -- Priya had injected him with a sedative in 2017. She had planned to retrieve her passport once he became unconscious but Mehdi died and Priya was arrested while trying to leave Yemen. The case has gained traction across India, particularly in Kerala, where rights groups have demanded that the government intensify efforts to bring her home. For now, her execution is on hold - but her future still hangs in the balance.
India Today
a day ago
- Politics
- India Today
Last hope for Nimisha Priya? Sunni leader steps in ahead of execution in Yemen
Intense efforts are underway to halt the execution of Kerala nurse Nimisha Priya, which is scheduled for tomorrow in Yemen, for the murder of a Yemeni national, news agency PTI reported. A prominent Sunni Muslim leader - Kanthapuram AP Aboobacker Musliyar, who holds the title of Grand Mufti of India - has stepped in for discussions with the family of the victim, Talal Abdo Mahdi, to convince them to accept 'blood money' in exchange for 94, who is officially known as Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad, held talks with religious authorities in Yemen. Following that, a meeting has been scheduled in Dhamar today under the leadership of prominent scholar and Sufi leader Sheikh Habib Umar bin Hafiz, at the behest of Kanthapuram. Representatives of Umar bin Hafiz will participate in the meeting with Mahdi's office said a close relative of the victim, who is also the Chief Justice of the Hodeidah State Court and a member of the Yemeni Shura Council, has arrived in Dhamar to take part in the talks today. He was advised to do the same by Umar bin Hafiz. "The fact that he is a follower of Sheikh Habib Umar's Sufi order and the son of another prominent Sufi leader offers great hope. Along with persuading the family, he is also expected to meet the Attorney General to initiate urgent efforts to postpone the execution scheduled for tomorrow," PTI reported, quoting the statement by Kanthapuram's statement added that the family's agreement to hold talks with the representatives of Umar bin Hafiz is being seen as a "positive signal towards our efforts to halt the scheduled execution for the time being".The PTI report said that Mahdi's murder is an emotional matter not only for the family, but also among the tribes and the residents of the Dhamar region. Kanthapuram's office said this was the reason why no contact could have been established with the victim's family before. "It was only through Kanthapuram's intervention that communication with the family became possible for the first time."Today's discussion is focused on reaching a final decision about the acceptance of the blood money, PTI government on Monday told the Supreme Court that there was "nothing much" they could do to secure the release or stop the execution of Nimisha Priya. Attorney General R Venkataramani informed a bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta that the government was trying its best "at a private level" and has contacted some sheikhs and other influential people in Priya, a nurse from Kerala's Palakkad, was sentenced to death by a local court in Yemen in 2020. Her family's appeal in Yemen's Supreme Court, challenging the decision, was dismissed in 2023. In January this year, Mahdi al-Mashat, President of the rebel Houthis' Supreme Political Council, approved her is currently imprisoned in a jail in Sanaa, the capital of per Yemen's Sharia law, Nimisha Priya can only get a reprieve if the victim's family accepts the blood money or 'diyah', which is USD 1 million financial assistance, offered by her negotiation team.- EndsTune InMust Watch
