A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta told petitioner K A Paul that Attorney General R Venkataramani had already assured the court that only the government would make statements on the matter
On August 14, the top court was informed by the counsel for the petitioner organisation that there was "no immediate threat" to Priya. Representational Pic
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear a plea seeking a gag order on “unverified public statements” regarding the case of Indian nurse Nimisha Priya, who faces the death penalty in Yemen for murder.
A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta told petitioner K A Paul that Attorney General R Venkataramani had already assured the court that only the government would make statements on the matter, according to the news agency PTI.
“What do you want? That nobody should say anything to media? The Attorney General has said the government will ensure no briefings. What else do you want?” the bench remarked, before dismissing the plea as withdrawn, reported the news agency PTI.
Venkataramani called it a “very sensitive matter” and assured that no media briefings would take place until the issue was resolved.
The plea had sought directions to the Centre for urgent diplomatic efforts with Yemen to commute Priya’s death sentence to life imprisonment, arguing that ongoing negotiations were being undermined by false statements.
Besides other directives, it also sought a direction to the authorities concerned to move a competent court for a comprehensive, time-bound media gag order restraining all persons and others from publishing any unverified contents or statements without prior confirmation from an authorised government agency involved in negotiations.
On August 14, the top court was informed by the counsel for the petitioner organisation that there was "no immediate threat" to Priya.
The apex court was then hearing a separate plea seeking a direction to the Centre to use diplomatic channels to save the 38-year-old nurse from Palakkad in Kerala who was convicted of murdering her Yemeni business partner in 2017.
The top court was apprised last month that Priya's execution, which was scheduled for July 16, had been stayed.
On July 18, the Centre informed the top court that efforts were on and the government was trying everything possible to ensure Priya came out safely.
Priya was convicted in 2017, sentenced to death in 2020 and her final appeal was rejected in 2023.
She is imprisoned in a jail in the Yemen capital Sanaa.
(With PTI inputs)
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