The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear a plea seeking directions to restrain individuals, organisations, and others from making “unverified public statements” in the case of Indian nurse Nimisha Priya, who faces the death penalty in Yemen for the 2017 murder of her business partner.
A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta directed petitioner K.A. Paul to serve a copy of his plea to the office of Attorney General R. Venkataramani, and issued notice on the matter. The case has been listed for further hearing on August 25.
Appearing in person, Paul told the bench that he had recently received a “shocking letter” from Priya and her mother, both of whom sought his intervention as a “peacemaker.” He claimed to have been in Yemen for several days, speaking with Priya’s family, the family of the victim, and leaders of the Houthi administration.
According to him, sensitive negotiations are currently underway, but unverified public statements by some individuals were complicating the process. He urged the court to enforce a complete gag order, contending that only the government should issue updates on the matter.
The bench said Paul’s plea would be tagged with a similar petition already pending before the court, filed by the Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council, an organisation extending legal support to Priya.
“What more do you want? You can only get a notice and tagging with that matter which is pending here,” the bench told the petitioner.
The plea not only seeks a gag order but also asks the Centre to take immediate and coordinated diplomatic measures with Yemen to secure commutation of Priya’s death sentence into life imprisonment. It also prays for directions to approach a competent court for a time-bound media gag order ensuring that only verified information from authorised agencies is published.
Priya, a 38-year-old nurse from Palakkad, Kerala, was convicted in 2017 for the murder of her Yemeni business partner. She was sentenced to death in 2020, and her final appeal was rejected in 2023.
Her execution, initially scheduled for July 16, 2025, was stayed last month. On July 18, the Centre informed the apex court that diplomatic efforts were ongoing and every possible measure was being taken to ensure her safety.
