Nimisha Priya, the Indian nurse from Kerala convicted of murdering a Yemeni national, Talal Abdo Mahdi, is scheduled to be executed next week, on 16 July. Last year, the president of Yemen approved her death sentence.

Who is Nimisha Priya?

Nimisha Priya was born in Kerala to parents who worked as daily wage labourers. In pursuit of a better life, she trained as a nurse and moved to Yemen in 2008 for better opportunities.

In 2011, she married Tomy Thomas, a native of Idukki. The couple settled in Yemen’s capital, Sana’a, where they had a daughter. Later, they decided to establish their own medical clinic.

Due to Yemeni regulations prohibiting foreign nationals from independently registering businesses, it was mandatory for Nimisha Priya to have a local partner. She approached Talal Abdo Mahdi, a regular at her former workplace, to register the clinic in his name.

The partnership deteriorated quickly. Nimisha was reportedly pressured into signing a deal granting 67% ownership to Talal Abdo Mahdi and 33% to her former employer. Once the clinic became profitable, Talal allegedly stopped sharing the earnings and took complete control.

Family members claim that when she confronted him, Talal became physically and verbally abusive.

The abuse extended beyond finances. Nimisha alleged that Talal physically and sexually assaulted her on several occasions. He reportedly confiscated her passport to restrict her movements and manipulated a wedding photograph to falsely claim they were married in court.

He was jailed multiple times following Nimisha’s complaints. However, Talal continued to exert influence, and her passport remained in his possession.

In July 2017, Nimisha visited Talal in jail once more to retrieve her passport. A prison official allegedly suggested she sedate him to get it back. She injected him with sedatives, but he died of an overdose. In a state of panic, she reportedly sought help from a fellow Yemeni nurse, who allegedly advised dismembering the body and disposing of it in a water tank. Both went into hiding but were later arrested.

In 2020, a Yemeni lower court sentenced Nimisha to death. Her appeals were rejected.

In June 2024, the Indian government approved the transfer of $40,000 to begin negotiations with Talal Abdo Mahdi’s family as part of “blood money” — a practice permitted under Islamic law that can provide a route to pardon.