‘Sensitive case, offer all assistance’: Nimish Priya’s death sentence in Yemen. Bharat News

A nurse from Kollangod in Palakkad district of Kerala has been found guilty of killing a Yemeni citizen in July 2017.

“This is a sensitive matter. The Government of India is providing all possible assistance,” said Randhir Jiswal, a spokesman of the Ministry of External Affairs, said in a media briefing.

He said, “We have provided legal aid and appointed a lawyer to help the family. We have also arranged regular consular visits and have been in constant contact with local authorities and family members to resolve the issue,” he said.

He said that in recent times, Priya’s family included concrete efforts to reach a mutually agreed solution with the other side to look for more time for Priya’s family.

“We closely follow the matter and provide all possible assistance. We are in touch with some favorable governments,” Jaswal said.

Video | Delhi: Answering a question in the case of Kerala Nurse Nimisha Priya, Mea spokesman Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia), Addressing a press briefing, said:

“This is a sensitive matter. The Government of India is providing all possible assistance. We have … pic.twitter.com/bk0r8v8dak

– Press Trust of India (@PTI_NEWS) July 17, 2025

Case

Priya, a nurse from Palakkad in Kerala, was convicted of killing Yamani National Talal Abdo Mahdi in 2017. He was arrested trying to escape from Yemen and was sentenced to death by a trial court in 2018 – Later the Supreme Court of Yemen abandoned a decision. In 2023, the President of the country Rashad al-Alimi gave his formal approval for the execution order, which was pending with the prosecutor since January 2024.

Priya moved to Yemen in 2008 after qualifying as a nurse. In 2011, she returned to Kerala to marry Tommy Thomas, before she returned to Yemen with aspirations to start a medical clinic. However, under the Yemeni law, foreign nationals can only open clinics in partnership with a local. When she and her husband contacted visitors Talal Abdo Mahdi at the clinic constantly, where he was working as his local partner.

According to Priya’s family, Mahdi later refused to share the income of the clinic and allegedly claimed forged documents to claim Priya as his wife – while her husband stayed in Kerala. She alleged that she was under physical and mental exploitation and prevented the country from leaving, as Mahdi had taken away her passport and travel letter.

In a desperate attempt to recover her documents, Priya allegedly assisted another nurse, Hannan, allegedly tried to seduce Mahdi. However, the dose proved fatal. Nervous, both women destroyed the body and disposed of it in a water tank. Both were later arrested.