NEW DELHI– The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has denied social media claims that the Indian government is collecting money for the legal case of nurse Nimisha Priya, who faces the death penalty in Yemen.
In a post on X, the MEA’s official FactCheck handle flagged a screenshot of a circulating message that called for donations to a Government of India bank account, purportedly to raise Rs 8.3 crore for Priya’s case. “This is a fake claim,” the ministry clarified.
Priya, who moved to Yemen in 2008 to work as a nurse before opening her own clinic, was convicted of murdering her former business partner Talal Abdo Mehdi in 2017. She allegedly gave him sedatives during a dispute to retrieve her passport, but the drugs proved fatal. She was arrested while trying to leave the country and sentenced to death in 2020. Yemen’s Supreme Judicial Council upheld the verdict in November 2023, though it left open the possibility of clemency through payment of “blood money” under Sharia law.
Her execution, initially scheduled for July 13, was deferred following diplomatic engagement and negotiations. The MEA has repeatedly described the matter as “sensitive” and urged restraint in reporting.
Earlier this month, ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India is closely monitoring the case, offering assistance, and coordinating with “friendly governments.” He stressed that “speculation and misinformation” only complicate the situation.
“We continue to follow the matter and render all possible assistance. Reports claiming new developments are incorrect. Please wait for updates from us,” Jaiswal said at a recent media briefing. (Source: IANS)
