“She Doesn’t Deserve to Die”: Venugopal Pleads for Nimisha Priya’s Life

Congress leader and Lok Sabha MP K C Venugopal has appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to urgently intervene in the case of Nimisha Priya, an Indian nurse from Kerala who has been sentenced to death in Yemen. The verdict, expected to be enforced on July 16, 2025, has sparked a wave of concern and mobilisation among human rights groups and political leaders across the country.

In a strongly worded letter to the Prime Minister, Venugopal, who also serves as the Chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee and General Secretary (Organisation) of the Indian National Congress, described the death sentence as a “grave travesty of justice.”

“Nimisha Priya is a victim of unimaginable cruelty and domestic abuse on foreign soil, driven to the brink. She doesn’t deserve to die,” he wrote, urging the Prime Minister to treat the matter with the utmost urgency and priority.

Nimisha Priya, a nurse from Kerala, has been accused of murdering her Yemeni employer. However, her family and support groups, including the ‘Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council,’ argue that she suffered prolonged abuse and exploitation and acted in desperation.

Efforts have been underway for months to negotiate with the victim’s family under Yemen’s legal provision of “diyah” or blood money, which allows the victim’s family to pardon the accused in exchange for compensation. However, as Venugopal pointed out in his letter, these negotiations have stalled due to the country’s ongoing civil unrest and political instability.

“Given the complexity of the situation,” Venugopal wrote, “I request you to intervene in this matter with utmost priority, imploring all possible diplomatic measures with the Yemeni authorities and ensure that the death sentence be cancelled.”

Yemen is currently grappling with a protracted civil war, making diplomatic engagement challenging. Still, human rights activists and lawmakers insist that the Indian government must act decisively and quickly to save Nimisha’s life.

The plea from Venugopal adds to growing calls for intervention, as the July 16 deadline looms large. Several rights organisations and women’s groups have also echoed the appeal for Prime Minister Modi’s diplomatic outreach to secure a pardon or reprieve.

As the clock ticks down, the fate of Nimisha Priya now hangs in the balance of high-stakes diplomacy.

Also Read: Nimisha Priya: The Tragic Saga of an Indian Nurse's Fight for Justice in Yemen