The Delhi High Court during an urgent hearing on Saturday sought Centre’s response regarding the grant of permission for the petitioner and other family members to travel to Yemen to initiate negotiations for blood money with the family of a Yemen national who was allegedly murdered by the petitioner’s daughter, Nimisha Priya. Nimisha is a nurse from Kerala who is currently lodged in a prison in Yemen.
On Friday, the Ministry of External Affairs communicated to the petitioner, advising against her travel to Yemen owing to the current situation there. The ministry refused to grant permission and strongly recommended that the petitioner should refrain from travelling to the country at this time. The MEA also urged the Petitioner to reconsider her decision to go to Yemen in light of the prevailing circumstances. Following, the petitioner-mother approached the Delhi High Court today challenging the same.
In a Writ Petition lodged under Article 226 it is submitted that the objective of the blood money negotiations is to prevent the execution of the death penalty imposed on the petitioner’s daughter in Yemen. The petitioner-mother mentioned that Blood Money negotiation is the only way for her daughter to escape from the death penalty by gaining pardon from the family of the deceased in accordance with the law in Yemen.
Meanwhile, the Single Judge Bench of Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora, asked the senior panel counsel for the Union of India, Advocate Pavan Narang, to obtain instructions from the Government of India and the Ministry of External Affairs regarding the possibility of allowing the petitioner to travel to Yemen or the nearest country at their own risk to negotiate with the victim’s family to secure the safety of their daughter.
On the other hand, the Delhi High Court indicated that it is not inclined to permit the 10-year-old daughter of Nimisha Priya to travel to Yemen, citing potential risks. The lawyer appearing for the petitioner told the court that the mother is 58 years old, two people will go along with her for care and a 10-year-old girl will also go. In response to this, the Delhi High Court said that the mother cannot even take care of herself and has a 10 year old daughter, adding that they cannot allow her to be taken away.
The Delhi High Court will next hear the matter on December 4.