Kozhikode (Kerala) [India], July 15 : The Grand Mufti, Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad Kanthapuram said that he spoke to scholars in Yemen to urge them for the release of 37-year-old Nimish Priya, convicted of murder and set to be executed. The Grand Mufti claims that after his talks, the news of the execution being postponed also came in.
"In Islam, instead of killing, there is also a practice of giving Diya (compensation). I requested them to accept Diyaat as the party is ready here for it. There are talks going on about whether my request has to be accepted. The date of execution was tomorrow, but it has now been postponed for some days," the Grand Mufti told ANI.
The Grand Mufti said that he is not considering the religion of Priya, but rather her humanity as he requested for her release.
"We have demanded this as human beings. If such a demand is accepted, then it will be very easy for Muslims in India. Muslims and Hindus all live on the same platform here," he said.
Earlier, Congress leader KC Venugopal also hailed the postponement of the execution, saying that "whoever is involved," in saving the Kerala nurse's life is appreciated.
"We got the information that Nimisha Priya's death sentence has been postponed. We all requested the Central government to intervene in the matter, but we got the information that Grand Mufti Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad Kanthapuram has intervened. Whosoever is involved in saving the human life of the woman of Kerala is welcome," Venugopal said.
The Mufti's remarks come after sources told ANI earlier that the execution of the 37-year-old nurse from Kerala was postponed following the "concerted efforts" by the Government of India. The execution was earlier set to happen on July 16.
According to the sources, the postponement provides additional time for her family to negotiate a mutually agreeable solution amidst ongoing diplomatic efforts by Indian officials as they maintained regular communication with Yemeni jail authorities and the prosecutor's office while navigating the sensitivities of the situation to secure this reprieve.
"In the case of Ms. Nimisha Priya, it has been learnt that the local authorities in Yemen have postponed the execution scheduled for July 16, 2025," the sources stated.
On Monday, while giving the Union Government's submission on the case in the Supreme Court the Attorney General of India (AGI) stated that the Indian government is making every possible effort to help Priya.
He further informed the Court that talks are ongoing with Yemeni authorities, including the public prosecutor handling Priya's case, to secure a suspension of the execution order until negotiations can be pursued.