Delhi HC Asks Centre For Its Stand On Helping Indian Woman Escape Capital Punishment In Yemen

The Delhi High Court asked the central government on Monday to give instruction on the plea seeking intervention to save the Kerala woman on death row in Yemen.

Justice V Kameswar Rao listed the petition for Tuesday after the Union government's counsel Manish Mohan sought time to seek advice in the matter. The Delhi High Court asked, " This happened in Yemen. How does this court has jurisdiction then? How is this petition maintainable?"

The petitioner submitted that under the Yemeni law, the Kerala woman can get a pardon on death row from the family of the deceased by paying 'blood money'. It refers to the money paid by an offender or the offender's kin to the family to the victim, in this case the deceased. The petition was filed by an organisation named Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council. They sought directions from the High Court to the Central government to start negotiation with the family of the man who was murdered. The organisation said that the Kerala woman's life can be saved by paying the blood money.

Kerala woman Nimisha Priya on Death Row In Yemen

The woman's name is Nimisha Priya who is a Yemeni national. As per the petition, Priya is convicted in the 2020 murder of a Yemini national named Talal Abdo in 2017. As per reports, the convicted woman injected Abdo with sedatives to get her passport back from Abdo's possession. Priya did so to get the passport when Abdo was unconscious but the man died of overdose. The petitioner counsel, advocate Subhash Chandran KR alleged that one Mahdi had forged the documents to show that Nimisha Priya was married to him. The advocated further alleged that Mahdi tortured and abused Priya.

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The petitioner's counsel told the Delhi High Court that Priya still has another chance to appeal before the Supreme Court but she is unlikely to be spared the death punishment. The only way for her escape is if the victim's family accepts the blood money so she gets the pardon. Reportedly, the lawyer who represented Nimisha Priya said that the option for blood money is still kept open by the appeal court.

The plea added that the Kerala woman has a nine year old daughter who is currently at an orphanage. Nimisha Priya is working as a domestic help in Kerala with her husband who is an autorickshaw driver. It added that Priya's family is facing serious challenges due to the ongoing legal processes. Along with the initiating negotiations with the Yemini national Abdo's family, the plea also sought the court to direct the Union government to take a necessary steps to save the life of Priya as per the Yemini law.