Delhi High Court seeks Centre’s response on Kerala woman’s plea to travel to Yemen to save daughter from gallows

The Delhi High Court recently sought the Central government's response on a woman’s petition for permission to travel to Yemen to enable her to pay blood money to save her daughter from gallows in the foreign country. [Premakumari vs Union Of India & Anr]

After the counsel representing the Union of India sought two weeks' time to seek instructions, Justice Subramonium Prasad listed the matter for hearing on November 16.

Premakumari, the mother of nurse Nimisha Priya, has sought directions for permitting her to travel to Yemen despite the travel ban. Priya, who was working as a nurse, has been sentenced to death in Yemen for murder of Yemeni citizen Talal Abdo Mahdi. 

The counsel representing Premakumari told the Court that the only way to save her daughter from the gallows is to negotiate with the family of the deceased by paying blood money. She has to travel to Yemen for that purpose, the counsel said. 

“Due to travel ban, the petitioner is unable to travel to Yemen,” the Court was told.

Last year, Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council also approached the Court for diplomatic intervention in the case. 

The Central government had then assured the Court that proactive steps will be taken to institute an appeal before the next appellate forum in accordance with the law in Yemen. 

While disposing of that case, the Court had made it clear that it cannot command the Union government to be party to any intervention or negotiations which the family proposes to initiate. 

However, a co-ordinate bench in that order had requested the Ministry of External Affairs to take appropriate measures to facilitate the family’s travel and provide them interpreters, if required.

Advocates Subhash Chandran and  Krishna LR represented the petitioner

Advocates Pavan Narang, Shaurya Rai, Himanshu Sethi and Aishwarya Chhabra represented the respondents.

[Read Order]