Nimisha Priya, from Palakkad district, has been charged with the murder a Yemen national Talal Abdu Mahdi.
Credit: DH Photo
New Delhi: The Centre on Monday told the Supreme Court that it was trying its best to save the execution of Kerala nurse Nimisha Priya, through private channels, but there was "nothing much" it can do to stop execution of 38-year-old woman in Yemen on July 16.
"There's nothing much the government can do. Looking at the sensitivity of Yemen. It's not diplomatically recognised," Attorney General R Venkataramani, submitted before a bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta.
He submitted that there was a certain point to which the Indian government can go (negotiate), and even we have reached that.
"Yemen is not like any other part of the world. We didn't want to complicate situation by going public," he said.
He said blood money is a private negotiation.
Venkataramani made the submissions in response to a plea filed by an organization, Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council (SNPIAC), seeking immediate direction to the Centre to use diplomatic channels to save her.
The top law officer of the country emphasised that the government was trying (to save her) at private level.
On a sad note, he said that the government also asked the public prosecutor if the execution can be suspended. But it has not worked out. Nothing matters to Yemen government, he said.
Venkantaramani said that to save her execution, the government even also got involved with a Sheikh, influential there, but so far, it did not work out.
"We got an informal communication that execution would be put in abeyance but we don't know if it will work out," he said.
A counsel for the petitioner, SNPIAC, argued that good samaritans were not able to do anything since it's Yemen.
"We are willing to pay higher blood money also to save her from execution," he said.
After hearing the submissions of the parties, the bench said, "We have heard the AG. List on Friday. Let parties inform us the status."
Priya was sentenced to death for the murder of Yemeni national Talal Abdo Mahdi in the year 2017. It was alleged that she injected the deceased with sedatives to retrieve her passport that was in his possession.The plea sought a direction to the Centre to facilitate effective diplomatic interventions to save her life by facilitating the petitioner to pay blood money (diyah) to the family of the victim in accordance with the law of the land expeditiously.
“Only the respondents here can facilitate effective diplomatic negotiations as well as negotiations to gain pardon from the family of the victim, who are citizens and residents of the Republic of Yemen," the plea said.It sought a direction for strong and expeditious intervention of Indian authorities to save the life of Priya, as the tentative date of execution is already fixed.
“The inaction in not initiating diplomatic interventions as well as negotiations with the family of victim on behalf of Priya to save her life by paying blood money in accordance with the law of the land is not only violative of Constitution but also impair and impinges fundamental rights guaranteed under Article 21,” the plea contended.
The plea said the petitioner was ready to raise the quantum of blood money as and when it is finalised by the family of the victim and not demanding any financial assistance from the respondents herein, but only praying for its serious diplomatic interventions to facilitate the negotiations with the family of the victim.