Who is Nimisha Priya?
Nimisha Priya, a nurse from Palakkad, Kerala, India, arrived in Yemen at the age of 19. Raised by a single mother, and trained in nursing, she believed that working abroad would help her build a secure future. Yemen, despite its instability, offered her a job, and the chance to open her own clinic one day.
For a while, things went smoothly. Nimisha married Tomy Thomas, a driver based in Qatar, and they had a daughter. Tomy returned to India with the baby in 2014 to help raise funds. While Nimisha stayed behind to pursue her career, and open the clinic she had always dreamed of.
The Partnership That Changed Everything
In late 2014, Nimisha met Talal Abdo Mahdi, a Yemeni man. As a local, he could legally act as a sponsor for her clinic a necessity that foreign nationals in Yemen are required to have. Therefore, they started the partnership in this manner. She handed him money to secure permits, and pay the landlord. Soon after, that trust was quickly broken.
Nimisha later claimed Talal took over the clinic, seized her passport, and faked a marriage certificate using an edited photo of her real wedding. He told people they were married, and allegedly produced forged documents in court to back his claim. Nimisha tried to fight back legally, but found herself trapped in a foreign system where evidence, and truth weren’t always on her side.
Abuse, And Legal Struggles
Nimisha accused Talal of physically, and sexually abusing her. He was briefly jailed multiple times, including on drug charges. The court returned some of her clinic documents in 2016, offering a brief glimmer of freedom. Trapped in a war-torn country, and separated from her child, Nimisha was desperate to leave. However, without her passport, she couldn’t return to India. She began visiting Talal in jail to plead for her documents, and a legal separation to end the so-called “marriage.”
Then came July 2017, during a visit to Talal in prison, Nimisha injected him with sedatives, hoping to retrieve her passport while he was unconscious. But he died from an overdose. Panicked, and frightened, Nimisha, and a fellow nurse allegedly dismembered the body, and disposed of the remains in a water tank. They went into hiding, but the police quickly caught them.
A Harsh Sentence in a Foreign Land for Nimisha Priya
Nimisha was tried, and convicted of murder. In 2020, a Yemeni court sentenced her to death a total of three times. One of those sentences was later struck down on appeal, but the remaining two were upheld by the country’s Supreme Court. The legal process offered little hope. In January 2025, Yemen’s Houthi authorities approved her execution. The date had been set for July 16, 2025.
Under Yemen’s Sharia-based law, execution can be avoided if the victim’s family grants a pardon in exchange for blood money, known as diyya. Nimisha’s family, and supporters raised $1 million to offer Talal’s family.
Her mother, Premakumari received permission from the Delhi High Court to travel to Yemen in April 2024 to personally plead for mercy. Despite her efforts, and those of the Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council, the victim’s family has not accepted the offer. While efforts are still ongoing, and Nimisha’s supporters continue to hold out hope. On July 14, 2025, the Supreme Court of India agreed to hear her case, and asked the central government to report what steps had been taken.
Recent Official Updates
As per the most recent updates, Nimisha Priya has received a major relief. Her death sentence has been officially cancelled, according to a statement from the office of Indian Grand Mufti Kanthapuram AP Abubakker Musliyar.
In the statement, the Mufti’s office confirmed:
“The death sentence of Nimisha Priya, which was previously suspended, has now been fully overturned. A high-level meeting held in Sanaa reached a decision to completely cancel the execution order.”
This development marks a significant breakthrough in the long-standing case that drew national, and international attention, with years of legal, diplomatic, and humanitarian efforts to save Nimisha’s life.
The Public Response
Reports that Indian nurse Nimisha Priya’s death sentence in Yemen has been cancelled sparked mixed reactions. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan welcomed the news, calling it a hopeful development after years of legal, and humanitarian efforts.
However, India’s Ministry of External Affairs has not confirmed the cancellation, stating no official written communication has been received from Yemeni authorities. Meanwhile, the victim Talal Mahdi’s family denied agreeing to a pardon, or accepting blood money, insisting the execution should proceed. The public opinion is divided, while many express sympathy for Nimisha, others question the handling of such a serious crime.
Stay tuned for more updates with The World Times
