There is yet another twist in the Nimish Priya case. Hours after ‘Grand Mufti of India’ Kanthapuram AP Abubakar Musliyar claimed that the death sentence of the Indian nurse has been ‘cancelled’, a new report citing MEA sources has rejected such claims.
According to CNN-News18 report, the sources in the Ministry of External Affairs say that claims made by the cleric are ‘inaccurate.’ Earlier, in a statement issued on Monday, the Grand Mufti had asserted that the death sentence of Indian national Nimisha Priya had been completely overturned in Yemen.
However, the statement also acknowledged that official written confirmation from Yemeni authorities was still awaited.
“Information being shared by certain individuals on the Nimisha Priya case is inaccurate,” MEA sources clarified today.
Priya, a 37-year-old nurse from Kerala, was convicted of murdering a Yemeni national named Mahdi in 2017 and was sentenced to death the following year, in 2018. Her execution, initially scheduled for July 16 this year, was subsequently postponed.
Earlier reports suggested that a complete overturning of her death sentence was decided during a high-level meeting in Sana’a. In that meeting, senior Yemeni scholars — selected by Sheikh Umar Hafeel Thangal at the request of India’s Grand Mufti — engaged in discussions with Northern Yemen’s authorities and international diplomats.
Nimisha Priya had moved to Yemen in 2008 and entered into a business partnership with Mahdi in 2015 to co-manage a medical clinic. Due to local laws prohibiting foreign nationals from independently owning such businesses, Mahdi’s involvement was required for legal purposes. However, Nimisha later alleged that the relationship turned abusive, accusing Mahdi of seizing her passport, misusing clinic funds, physically assaulting her, and restricting her freedom of movement.
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
