NEW DELHI, Aug 22: The Supreme Court today issued notice on a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by activist Dr. K.A. Paul seeking a temporary media gag order in the case of Indian nurse Nimisha Priya, who faces the death penalty in Yemen.
Priya, a Malayali nurse convicted by a Yemeni court, was scheduled to be executed on July 16, 2025, but her execution was stayed on July 15 until further orders.
A Bench of Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta was hearing Paul, who appeared in person. He urged the Court to restrain individuals from making public statements about the case, contending that delicate negotiations were in progress in Yemen. Paul alleged that certain individuals, including Advocate Subhash Chandran, his associates, and a person identified as Kanchapuram, were making false claims of payments or negotiations in the matter.
I have never met them, I have nothing to do with them, and I have not received a dollar from them, Paul submitted, warning that Priya could face execution on August 24 or 25. He added that he only sought a three-day bar on public discussions of the case.
The Bench issued notice to the Attorney General of India and posted the matter for hearing on August 25, when it will decide on the plea for a temporary gag order.
The matter has seen multiple interventions before the apex court.
On August 14, the Supreme Court adjourned by eight weeks the hearing of a PIL filed by the Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council, while allowing liberty to move the Court in case of urgency.
The Bench had earlier permitted the petitioner to make a representation before the union Government seeking diplomatic intervention, with Attorney General R. Venkataramani informing the Court that efforts were ongoing.
Senior Advocate R. Basant, appearing for the petitioners, had explained that the temporary stay on Priya s execution was secured with the help of stakeholders but stressed that the next critical step was obtaining forgiveness from the victim s family, a precondition under Yemeni law for initiating negotiations on diyah (blood money).
The Court, while refraining from issuing direct orders, had observed that only the Government of India could authorise special travel permissions for such negotiations, given the travel restrictions in place.
The Attorney General had cautioned against immediate judicial intervention, citing sensitive diplomatic considerations.
It may be recalled that Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had also written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar seeking urgent diplomatic efforts to save Priya s life, stressing that her case deserves sympathy and intervention at the highest level.
(UNI)
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