Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, Aug 19: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has strongly denied social media claims suggesting that the Government of India is seeking public donations for the case of Indian nurse Nimisha Priya, who is currently on death row in Yemen. The MEA labelled these claims as "fake" and warned the public against falling for misinformation.

In a post on X, the MEA’s official FactCheck handle shared a screenshot of one such misleading post that claimed donations were being collected in a government bank account to raise Rs 8.3 crore as 'blood money' to save Priya. The ministry firmly clarified that no such fundraising effort has been authorised by the government.

Nimisha Priya, who moved to Yemen in 2008 and later started her own clinic, was convicted of murdering her former business partner, Talal Abdo Mehdi, in 2017. She allegedly injected him with sedatives in an attempt to recover her confiscated passport, but the act led to his death. She was arrested while trying to flee and was sentenced to death in 2020, a ruling upheld by Yemen’s Supreme Judicial Council in 2023. However, the court allowed for a possible pardon through the payment of 'blood money' to the victim’s family, a practice recognised under Sharia law.

The MEA reiterated its ongoing involvement in the case, with spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal recently calling it a "sensitive and complex matter." He confirmed that India has extended all possible support to Priya, and continues to follow the case closely, including working with other friendly governments. Jaiswal cautioned against speculative media reports and urged the public to avoid misinformation.

The ministry’s statement comes amid growing public interest and emotion surrounding the case, with multiple online campaigns and calls for financial aid surfacing in recent weeks. However, the government made it clear that any claim of official donation drives is entirely baseless.