Nimisha execution: How another accused was saved using 'blood money'

The death sentence of Kerala nurse Nimisha Priya, convicted in a 2018 murder case in Yemen, has been temporarily deferred after the victim’s family rejected an offer of “blood money.” The sentence was scheduled for execution on July 16, but has been postponed following the intervention of Kerala-based religious leader Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad.

Also Read: Yemen delays execution of  Nimisha Priya as victim’s family rejects ‘Blood Money’ offer

Nimisha Priya was found guilty of killing her Yemeni business partner, Talal Abdol Mehdi. The Yemeni court sentenced her to death in 2018, and the country's President Rashad al-Alimi ratified the execution earlier this year. With the victim's family refusing to accept compensation, uncertainty now looms over the next steps in the case.

Under Islamic Sharia law, blood money (known as diyya) can be paid by the offender to the victim’s family in exchange for clemency. However, such relief is only possible if the victim’s legal heirs willingly forgive the offender and accept the payment. Since the family has rejected the offer, the possibility of clemency appears slim for now.

A similar case in Saudi Arabia involved Abdul Raheem, another Keralite who received a pardon from the victim’s family after paying a large sum. He was later sentenced to 20 years in prison and released after time served. Nimisha’s case may now follow a prolonged legal path.