Centre can't be an agent to pay blood money: Delhi HC

One-liner: The Delhi HC on Tuesday refused to direct the involvement of Centre in payment of blood money in connection with death sentence awarded to a Kerala woman in a murder case in Yemen.

Centre's help sought: A judge was hearing a petition by an organisation seeking Centre's intervention to save the life of the Indian citizen Nimisha Priya.

• The judge said the court can't ask the Govt of India to countenance such a payment and requested the authorities to facilitate the appropriate legal action against the conviction of the woman

Diplomatic interventions urged: The petitioner sought a direction to Centre to facilitate diplomatic interventions and negotiations with family of victim on behalf of Nimisha Priya by paying blood money.

What is blood money: Blood money refers to the compensation paid by an offender or his kin to the family of the victim.

• The court stated that it can, at best and in law, call upon the Centre to facilitate the petitioner in pursuing the judicial remedy under the laws of Yemen

Murder of Yemini national: The petition said Nimisha Priya was an Indian nurse working in Yemen and she was convicted in 2020 for the murder of the Yemini national. 

• It said Priya was accused of murdering Talal Abdo Mahdi who died in July 2017 after she injected him with sedatives to get her passport that was in his possession 

Dies of overdose: It also said she injected him with sedatives so that she could take her passport from him while he was unconscious. However, he died of an overdose.

Abuse and torture: The plea alleged that Mahdi had forged documents to show that he was married to her and that she was allegedly abused and tortured by Mahdi.

Bottom line: Though she appealed against the death penalty, it was rejected, it said, adding that another chance of appeal before the Supreme Court there still exists but Priya is unlikely to be spared.

Source: PTI