“We Have Reached Our Limit”: Centre On Efforts To Save Nimisha Priya

The Supreme Court was today (14 July) informed that the Indian government cannot do much more to prevent the execution of Nimisha Priya, a Kerala nurse sentenced to death in Yemen for killing a man who allegedly harassed her, reported NDTV.

Attorney General R Venkataramani told the court, “It is unfortunate... there is a point till which we can go (and) we have reached that.”

Representing the petitioner, the 'Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council', counsel admitted the limited options available, telling Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, “The only way is if the family (of the Yemeni man) agrees to accept the 'blood money' (i.e., financial compensation).”

Officials confirmed that the victim’s family had been offered $1 million, or approximately Rs 8.5 crore, as blood money. Priya’s execution is scheduled for 16 July.

Earlier in the day, the Attorney General told the court the government had exhausted all avenues in “a very complex case.”

He said, “There is not much the Government of India can do. We tried whatever was possible... we tried our best without going very public about it.”

The court asked if the government could help negotiate a settlement with the victim’s family or add to the blood money offer. The Attorney General responded that any payment can only be a personal gesture.

When petitioners urged that “someone from the government go and talk to the family... to accept the 'blood money'” and even offered to raise the amount, he replied, “There is a point till which the Government of India can go... we have reached it.”