Nimisha Priya case: Death sentence of Indian nurse cancelled in Yemen; Grand Mufti’s office confirms breakthrough | India News
NEW DELHI: In a major relief for Nimisha Priya, the Indian nurse on death row in Yemen, her death sentence has been officially cancelled, according to a statement from the office of Indian Grand Mufti Kanthapuram AP Abubakker Musliyar.In an official statement, Indian Grand Mufti, Kanthapuram AP Abubakker Muslaiyar’s office said, “The death sentence of Nimisha Priya, which was previously suspended, has been overturned. A high-level meeting held in Sanaa decided to completely cancel the death sentence that was temporarily suspended earlier.”A 37-year-old trained nurse from Kerala, Nimisha moved to Yemen for work and later partnered with a local man, Talal Abdo Mahdi, to set up a clinic in 2015 — a legal workaround since foreigners cannot own businesses there. But what started as a professional arrangement soon turned sinister.Mahdi allegedly manipulated a wedding photograph taken during a trip to India to falsely claim he was married to Nimisha, seized control of the clinic, and began extorting her monthly earnings. Her family alleges that he subjected her to repeated abuse, including physical torture, drug-induced assaults, and confiscation of her passport to prevent her from escaping Yemen.After approaching police and being jailed briefly instead of receiving protection, Nimisha allegedly attempted to sedate Mahdi to retrieve her passport. When a stronger dose was used, Mahdi died due to overdose — leading to Nimisha’s arrest and eventual conviction for murder.
