Death sentence of Kerala nurse Nimisha Priya temporarily postponed
Strong opposition from Talal’s family
Sana (Yemen): The death sentence of Kerala nurse Nimisha Priya, currently imprisoned in Yemen, has been temporarily postponed. However, the family of the murdered Yemeni national Talal Abdul Mahdi has strongly opposed this decision.
In a Facebook post, Talal’s brother Abdul Fattah Mahdi reacted, saying, “The truth cannot be forgotten. Even if the punishment is delayed, it cannot be avoided.”
He has categorically rejected any talk of forgiveness or a reconciliation process.
Nimisha Priya, a native of Kollengode in Palakkad district, went to Yemen in 2012 along with her husband and son. She continued her profession as a nurse, and her husband Tomy secured a job with a private company.
During this period, she met Talal Abdul Mahdi, a Yemeni citizen. With his help, she decided to start a medical clinic under a business partnership. It was nearly impossible to start such a clinic in Yemen without local support.
Once the clinic was launched, Talal allegedly began claiming publicly that Nimisha was his wife. It is said he even fabricated a fake marriage certificate and later threatened her, claiming they were married under local religious customs.
He allegedly took full control of the clinic's income, seized her passport, and sold her gold, leaving Nimisha with nothing. Initially tolerating the abuse, she later reported him to the authorities. The investigation later revealed that in the process of attempting to retrieve her passport, Talal died due to an overdose administered by Nimisha.
The execution, scheduled for July 16, was postponed after intervention by Kantapuram A.P. Aboobacker Musliyar, a prominent Muslim scholar, and Sheikh Habib Umar bin Habib, a well-known Sufi scholar from Yemen. The ‘Save Nimisha Priya Action Committee’ also contributed to the postponement.
However, Talal’s family is firm on rejecting any delay or reconciliation. “No amount of compensation can buy a lost life. Justice must be served,” Talal’s brother said in a stern statement.
Abdul Fattah further remarked: “There have been covert efforts and backdoor negotiations going on for years. These are not new. We are not surprised. But our position is unchanged. This is a matter of retribution, not forgiveness.”
He described the postponement of the death sentence as “unfortunate”, stating they did not expect it. He emphasised that once a death sentence is scheduled, halting it is extremely difficult. He also dismissed any diplomatic pressure or settlement talks, asserting their refusal to accept such outcomes.
“We will not yield to pressure. A lost life cannot be bought with blood money. Justice cannot be forgotten. Even if delayed, the sentence must be carried out. With God's help, it will happen,” Abdul Fattah wrote in his Facebook post.
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Nightclub fire: Goa court remands Luthra brothers in police custody for five days
Panaji (PTI): A court in North Goa on Wednesday remanded Gaurav and Saurabh Luthra, co-owners of the ‘Birch by Romeo Lane’ nightclub, in police custody for five days.
The brothers, brought to Goa from Delhi after being deported from Thailand in connection with the December 6 blaze that killed 25, were produced in the court after undergoing health check-ups twice at the District Hospital in North Goa.
Judicial Magistrate First Class Mapusa Puja Sardesai remanded the two brothers in police custody for five days.
Advocate Vishnu Joshi, representing Bhavana Joshi who lost four family members in the tragedy, said that the accused were asking for “special consideration” claiming poor health.
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“We said they should not be given any extra relaxation,” he said, adding that the court has taken cognisance of the fact that this is about the death of “25 people in the form of mass genocide”.
“But since they kept pressing for medical check-up, the court ordered reexamination of their health. It is clear in the medical examination that they don’t require any consideration. The accused sought special considerations in the lock-up like a good mattress, which the court refused,” said Joshi.
A team of the Goa Police, along with the Luthra brothers, arrived at the Manohar International Airport, Mopa, in North Goa at 10.45 am.
The duo was initially taken to a Primary Health Centre at Siolim for medical examination. They were then taken to the District Hospital at Mapusa.
After their health assessment, the two were brought to the court.
The court directed that the accused be sent for fresh medical examination. Accordingly, the two were again taken to the District Hospital.
Later, they were produced before Judge Sardesai, who ordered the five-day police custody of the accused.
After the fire tragedy at Arpora village, the Anjuna police had registered a case against the Luthra brothers on various charges, including culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
The brothers were arrested in Delhi on Tuesday after being deported from Thailand. A court there allowed the Goa Police their two-day transit remand.
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The duo had fled to Phuket in Thailand early on December 7, hours after the fire at their nightclub, prompting the authorities to issue an Interpol Blue Corner Notice and cancel their passports.
They were detained by Thai authorities at Phuket on December 11 following a request from the Indian government, which later coordinated with officials in Thailand to deport them under legal treaties between the two nations.
Five managers and staff members have already been arrested by the Goa Police in connection with the fire.
