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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MP: 12 labourers killed, 20 injured as pick-up van overturns and crashes into SUV
Dhar (MP) (PTI): Twelve labourers were killed and 20 others injured when the pick-up van carrying them overturned and collided with an SUV in Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh on Wednesday night, an official said.
The incident occurred at 8:30-9 PM. According to preliminary information, 35 labourers were returning home in a pickup van from Baggad in Dhar district when the driver lost control of the vehicle near Chikliya crossing. The vehicle overturned and collided with an SUV coming from the opposite direction.
"Twelve people died on the spot, while approximately 20 others were injured," said Dhar district's in-charge collector, Abhishek Choudhary.
The seriously injured persons were referred to Indore after initial treatment, he said.
Choudhary, DIG Mayank Awasthi, and police personnel rushed to the spot.
Tirla police have registered a case and are investigating the accident.
