Nimisha Priya case: Victim’s brother denies Kanthapuram’s mediation claims

Thiruvananthapuram: The family of Talal Abdo Mahdi, the man Indian nurse Nimisha Priya was convicted of murdering in Yemen, has rejected claims by Kerala Sunni leader Kanthapuram A P Aboobacker Musliar that he intervened to postpone her execution. Nimisha Priya, currently on death row, had her execution, originally scheduled for July 16, postponed last month by the Al-Houthi government in Yemen.

Kanthapuram, general secretary of the All India Jamiyyathul Ulama, had earlier asserted that his efforts played a role in the reprieve, and his office even announced that Priya’s death sentence had been revoked, a claim later withdrawn. He also stated that representatives of the Yemeni Sufi leader Sheikh Habib Umar Bin Hafiz met with Talal’s family, which supposedly influenced the decision.

However, Talal’s brother, Abdul Fatah Mehdi, took to Facebook to firmly deny any such mediation. He wrote, “We have strictly prohibited any meeting or discussion with the parents of Talal, either directly or through any medium, by the office of Kanthapuram or Habib Omar Ibn Hafeez.” He added, “The religion of Islam is the religion of truth and not the religion of distortion and falsification. If the news were true, we would have announced it first.”

This statement came shortly after Kanthapuram claimed his intervention was driven by a sense of duty, not for recognition. Meanwhile, two days ago, Abdul Fatah Mehdi also expressed his desire to proceed with the execution, telling authorities there was “no substitute for retribution.”

India’s External Affairs Ministry declined to comment on Kanthapuram’s reported role. Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told reporters last month, “As far as the role of the entity you mentioned is concerned, I have no information to share.”