The Shocking Case of Nimisha Priya: How a nurse went from clinic owner to convicted killer

Nimisha Priya, a nurse from Kerala, now faces execution in Yemen after a desperate escape plan led to her partner’s death. A tragic tale of abuse, fear, and justice abroad.

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Nimisha Priya, born 1988/89 in Kollengode, Kerala, moved to Sana’a in 2008 as a young nurse seeking better opportunities.

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By 2015, she had launched her own clinic—only to be betrayed by her business partner, who allegedly seized control, withheld income, and abused her.

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Her passport was confiscated, trapping her in Yemen and leaving her with no means to escape an increasingly dangerous situation.

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In July 2017, desperate to flee, Nimisha tried to sedate her partner—accidentally administering a fatal dose that led to his death.

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In a state of panic, Nimisha and a colleague dismembered and disposed of the body in a water tank—but were arrested shortly after.

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In 2020, a Yemeni court sentenced her to death. Appeals failed and, in November 2023, the Supreme Council upheld the verdict.

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By mid-2025, Yemen’s president approved execution—Nimisha is now in Houthi-controlled Sana’a, awaiting her fate.

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India has tried to negotiate a “blood money” settlement (diyat) under Yemeni law, but as of July 2025, no breakthrough has been reached.

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From a hopeful nurse to death row convict, Nimisha’s story exposes cultural pitfalls and legal helplessness faced by working migrant women.