Nimisha Priya case: Our role ends here, now it's upto Indian govt, says Kanthapuram

Kozhikode: Kanthapuram A P Aboobacker Musliyar has clarified his role in the efforts to save Malayali nurse Nimisha Priya, who is currently in a Yemeni prison for the murder of a local citizen, Talal Abdul Mahdi. Speaking to Risala Update, Kanthapuram said his intervention was based on long-standing ties with Islamic scholars in Yemen.

“I have a long-standing connection with scholars in Yemen. I believed the victim’s family might listen to them. Most people don’t know that, in Islam, there is a concept of forgiveness once penance is made. This can happen in two ways, either by accepting diyath (blood money) or without it. So, I requested the Yemeni scholars to approach the victim’s family and ask if they would consider granting forgiveness once diyath is offered,” he said.

He also spoke about the humanitarian nature of the effort. “We preach humanity. Islam doesn’t ridicule or oppose people of other religions. It values humanity. This effort was to demonstrate that principle to the world,” he said. Kanthapuram noted that the initial death sentence was extended by a day and later cancelled. “Our role ended there. It is now up to the government to take further steps, and we trust it will do so,” he added.

India remains in talks with Yemen and friendly nations over nurse Nimisha Priya’s death sentence. She was convicted of killing her Yemeni partner in 2017 and sentenced to death in 2020. Her final appeal was rejected in 2023, but her execution has been postponed for now.
The Supreme Court was recently told there’s no immediate threat, as negotiations with the victim's family continue. The top court adjourned the case for eight weeks, awaiting diplomatic and legal developments.