New twist in Nimisha Priya case; 'Mediator' Samuel Jerome accused of fraud

Fresh controversy has erupted in the Nimisha Priya case, with serious allegations emerging against Samuel Jerome, the man representing the Indian nurse in Yemen. Abdul Fattah Mahdi, the brother of the deceased Talal Mahdi, has accused Jerome of misrepresentation, financial fraud, and obstructing genuine mediation efforts.

Jerome, who holds the power of attorney for Nimisha Priya and her mother Premakumari, has been a visible figure in the campaign to save Nimisha from execution. Premakumari is currently staying with him in Sana’a. Over the past months, Jerome has appeared in both Indian and international media, often referred to as a legal representative or negotiator in the case.

Victim’s brother’s allegation

However, Abdul Fattah Mahdi has now publicly rejected those claims. In a strongly-worded social media post, he asserted, “Samuel Jerome is not a lawyer. He only has a power of attorney from the convict’s family. He has never reached out to us for any kind of negotiation - not even a message.”

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Mahdi also alleged that the only time the family met Jerome was after the Yemeni President had already ratified Nimisha Priya’s death sentence.

“He greeted me in Sana’a with a smile and said, ‘Congratulations’,” Mahdi wrote, calling it a moment that revealed Jerome’s true intentions.

‘Misappropriated funds’

More explosively, Mahdi accused Jerome of misappropriating funds raised in India under the pretext of securing a pardon through diya (blood money).

“He is making money off our brother’s blood. He has taken large sums, including $40,000, claiming it’s for mediation. None of this has been communicated to us,” he alleged.

Also Read: MEA in touch with 'friendly governments' on Nimisha Priya case

These accusations echo earlier concerns raised by the “Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council”, which had repeatedly flagged issues of lack of transparency and possible misuse of funds involving Jerome.

‘Jerome not in Action Council since Dec 2024’

"Samuel Jerome has not been part of the Nimisha Priya Action Council since December 2024. After the $20,000 requested during the second phase was transferred through the Embassy by the Action Council on December 27, he voluntarily exited the Council’s group the very next day, on December 28, when details of the transactions were being reviewed", said KR Subhash Chandran, action council member and the lawyer who is representing the council in the Supreme court.

Also Read: Nimisha Priya case: Social media backlash threatens to derail pardon talks in Yemen

"On July 15, 2025, he appeared on television channels alongside others, alleging that the court order temporarily suspending Nimisha’s execution was fake and that neither Hon. Kanthapuram nor Sufi scholars in Yemen had any role in the negotiations. He also publicly discredited those mediating the discussions. In light of this, the Action Council had decided to remove Deep Joseph (who was then Vice Chairman) and committee member Babu John from their roles," Subhash Chandran said in a social media post.

Slim hopes

Nimisha Priya, a nurse from Kerala, was convicted in the murder of her Yemeni partner Talal Mahdi and has spent the past eight years on death row in Sana’a Central Prison. All legal options in Yemen have been exhausted, leaving a possible diya settlement as her only path to escape execution.

Also Read: Nimisha Priya case: Want God's law to be enforced, says victim's brother

But the latest allegations have cast a shadow over the credibility of that effort. Jerome has yet to publicly respond to the charges, but the deepening mistrust between the parties threatens to derail what many consider the final window to save Nimisha’s life.