Although death sentence for Kerala nurse Nimisha Priya has been stayed, there is no clear indication of her release from prison
Sensational crime cases are often reported and among these, there are the ones that continue to make headlines. A relevant example in this context would be the Kerala nurse Nimisha Priya case, which is being widely discussed by both national and international media. Let us explore more details about Nimisha Priya's case and its current status.0
Image Credit - GROK[/caption]
Who is Nimisha Priya?
Nimisha Priya is an Indian nurse from Kerala. She was born in 1987 in Kollengode, Palakkad district and trained as a nurse. She got married to Tomy Thomas in 2006. To boost her income, Nimisha Priya moved to Yemen in 2011, where she started working as a nurse in Sanaa, the capital of Yemen. Further progressing in her career, Nimisha Priya wanted to open her own clinic.
For that, she partnered with a Yemeni national named Talal Abdo Mahdi. This was a natural move, since Yemeni laws make it mandatory for foreigners to have a local partner for setting up a business. While things went smoothly initially, it is alleged that Talal Abdo Mahdi started abusing Nimisha Priya as the days passed. It is alleged that Talal Abdo Mahdi tortured Nimisha Priya mentally and physically.
According to Nimisha's family, Talal Abdo Mahdi created a fake marriage certificate, seized Nimisha's clinic and grabbed her money. He also confiscated Nimisha's passport, so that she could not move back to India.
What is Nimisha Priya's crime?
It is alleged that Kerala nurse Nimisha Priya murdered Talal Abdo Mahdi, as she wanted her passport back. It is reported that Nimisha Priya sedated Talal by giving him an injection. However, due to overdose, Talal Abdo Mahdi died. His body was later found by authorities in a dismembered condition inside a water tank that was installed at the clinic.
In her defense, Nimisha Priya told authorities that she gave the injection to Talal Abdo Mahdi in self-defense. She claimed that she was facing continuous abuse and had acted in desperation. However, her claims were rejected by Yemeni courts. The courts considered Nimisha Priya's act as premeditated murder. In 2020, Kerala nurse Nimisha Priya was given the death sentence.
This court order was later challenged in Yemen's Supreme Judicial Council. This court also found Nimisha Priya guilty and upheld the death penalty announced by the lower court. However, the Supreme Judicial Council also said that pardon could be an option if 'blood money' was paid to the family of the victim. This is as per Sharia law, where blood money is referred to as 'diyya'.
Nimisha Priya case current status
The exact amount of blood money to be given to Talal Abdo Mahdi's family is not clear. This is probably because the court has not given a specific amount. It will likely depend on the amount that Mahdi's family finds acceptable. Nimisha's family has formed the Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council to collect the funds needed to pay the blood money. The family has a modest financial background and is not in a position to give the blood money on its own.
Meanwhile, the good thing is that Kerala nurse Nimisha Priya's death sentence has been suspended indefinitely. This was done after talks with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and religious leaders in Kerala. The current status of Kerala nurse Nimisha Priya case is that negotiations are still ongoing for the amount of blood money to be paid. Some reports indicate that the blood money asked is around 33 crores. The case has also reached the Indian Supreme Court, which has asked the Central Government to take the necessary steps.
.png)
.jpg)