Are the Claims About Government Funding for the Nimisha Priya Case Fake?

New Delhi, Aug 19 (NationPress) The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has labeled as "fake" the claims circulating on social media about the government requesting financial contributions for the case of Indian nurse Nimisha Priya, who is currently incarcerated in Yemen.

In a post shared on X, the MEA's official FactCheck account included a screenshot of a social media post where an individual solicited donations to a Government of India account to assist Nimisha Priya, specifying a need of 8.3 crore rupees.

"We have observed false claims on social media asking for monetary donations into a GoI designated bank account in the Nimisha Priya case. This is a false assertion," the MEA FactCheck account stated on X while sharing the screenshot of the misleading post.

Nimisha Priya is facing a death sentence for the alleged murder of her former business partner, Talal Abdo Mehdi, in 2017. Her execution, initially scheduled for July 13, was postponed after extensive negotiations.

In 2008, she relocated to Yemen to support her family, initially working as a nurse before opening her own clinic. The incident leading to her arrest occurred in 2017 during a dispute with Mehdi, where she allegedly administered sedatives in an attempt to retrieve her confiscated passport, resulting in his death. She was apprehended while trying to flee the country and convicted of murder in 2018.

A death penalty was imposed in 2020, which was affirmed by Yemen's Supreme Judicial Council in November 2023. However, the court has allowed the possibility of clemency through a 'blood money' arrangement, which refers to monetary compensation paid to the victim's family in exchange for forgiveness, a practice permitted under Sharia law.

During a weekly media briefing earlier this month, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal referred to the Nimisha Priya case as a "sensitive matter" and assured that India is closely monitoring the situation. He urged everyone to avoid spreading misinformation regarding the case.

When asked about updates on the Nimisha Priya case, Jaiswal stated, "As I previously mentioned, this is a sensitive issue and the Government of India has been providing all possible support. Thanks to our concerted efforts, the sentencing was postponed. We continue to closely monitor the situation and offer every possible assistance, staying in contact with friendly governments concerning this matter. I must emphasize that this is a sensitive and complex case, and I urge all to refrain from speculation and misinformation. Reports claiming updates are inaccurate; please await official communication from us."