NEW DELHI: The central government on Friday told Supreme Court that it couldn't formally intervene in the Nimisha Priya execution case , and the petitioner's counsel added that the victim's family's "forgiveness" was the first step to get the Kerala nurse's life pardoned.
"I don't think anything formally can happen at this point of time," PTI quoted attorney general R Venkataramani Venkataramani as saying.
The statement came as the petitioner's counsel requested that a small delegation, including members of the petitioner organisation and a religious scholar from Kerala, be allowed to travel to Yemen to negotiate with the victim's family. They also suggested that a government representative could join the trip if the Centre approved.
"We will certainly consider that but don't put it on record," Venkataramani said.
When the bench inquired about an indefinite stay on the execution, the petitioner's counsel clarified that no specific date had been set yet. "Which means something is working," Venkataramani said.
The petitioner's counsel informed the court that Priya's mother was in Yemen to negotiate with the victim's family, having traveled there with the Centre’s permission as directed by the Delhi high court. "We can go and negotiate and seek forgiveness from the family so that something can work out," he said.
The Supreme Court was hearing a plea urging the Centre to intervene diplomatically to save Priya, a 38-year-old nurse from Kerala, who faces execution in Yemen for the alleged murder of her Yemeni business partner in 2017. Convicted and sentenced to death in 2020, her final appeal was rejected in 2023, and she is currently imprisoned in Sana'a.
The government had said on Thursday that it was in contact with Yemeni authorities and friendly nations to seek a "mutually agreeable solution" in Priya's case. The matter has been listed for August 14.
"I don't think anything formally can happen at this point of time," PTI quoted attorney general R Venkataramani Venkataramani as saying.
The statement came as the petitioner's counsel requested that a small delegation, including members of the petitioner organisation and a religious scholar from Kerala, be allowed to travel to Yemen to negotiate with the victim's family. They also suggested that a government representative could join the trip if the Centre approved.
"We will certainly consider that but don't put it on record," Venkataramani said.
When the bench inquired about an indefinite stay on the execution, the petitioner's counsel clarified that no specific date had been set yet. "Which means something is working," Venkataramani said.
The petitioner's counsel informed the court that Priya's mother was in Yemen to negotiate with the victim's family, having traveled there with the Centre’s permission as directed by the Delhi high court. "We can go and negotiate and seek forgiveness from the family so that something can work out," he said.
The Supreme Court was hearing a plea urging the Centre to intervene diplomatically to save Priya, a 38-year-old nurse from Kerala, who faces execution in Yemen for the alleged murder of her Yemeni business partner in 2017. Convicted and sentenced to death in 2020, her final appeal was rejected in 2023, and she is currently imprisoned in Sana'a.
The government had said on Thursday that it was in contact with Yemeni authorities and friendly nations to seek a "mutually agreeable solution" in Priya's case. The matter has been listed for August 14.
You may also like
The government is reinvesting in sports in India, says junior French shooting team manager Eric Egretaud
'Amazing smelling' Ghost perfume flies off shelves as shoppers work out how to get it for £4
Fauja Singh hit-and-run case: 'Driver was not an enemy,' says son; 'could have shown humanity'
ED attaches assets worth Rs 2.83 crore in transnational cyber fraud case
Random Musing: Is the new Superman movie 'anti-Israel'? Depends on your 'extrapolation bias'
