Nimisha Priya’s case has cast fresh light on the practice of diyah, or blood money, a provision under Islamic law that allows victims’ families to pardon the accused in exchange for monetary compensation. While not recognised under Indian law, diyah is legally entrenched in several Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, where Priya is imprisoned. The system allows for private settlements to replace capital punishment in cases of murder, provided the victim’s family agrees.The concept, rooted in ancient Arab tribal customs, evolved as a legal mechanism to prevent cycles of violence by promoting reconciliation over revenge. It is particularly significant in countries like Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Iran, and the UAE, where Sharia courts often mediate the process. In such systems, the compensation amount—once historically set at the value of 100 camels—is now negotiated or decided by courts, often varying with the religion, gender, or citizenship status of the victim.The Indian government has previously navigated such settlements. In 2006, Kerala driver Abdul Rahim was sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia for the accidental death of a paralysed child. After a sustained fundraising campaign, including public donations, nearly Rs 34 crore in diyah was paid in 2024, securing his pardon—though Rahim was still required to complete a 20-year prison term.Similarly, in 2013, Punjab native Balwinder Singh was pardoned for the death of a Saudi resident after a Rs 2 crore compensation was arranged. In the UAE, A.S. Sankaranarayanan was released in 2017 after a bank stepped in to pay Rs 47 lakh for a fatal accident involving a Bangladeshi worker. Telangana’s C.H. Limbadri, convicted in a 2007 death case, was saved from the gallows after a Rs 1.8 crore diyah was paid by a local businessman with political support. And in 2013, Bengaluru truck driver Saleem Basha was pardoned after then Saudi King Abdullah paid Rs 1.5 crore in compensation for a 2006 accident that killed nine.Such precedents show that while the diyah process is complex and dependent on multiple stakeholders—from families and mediators to governments and donors—it remains one of the last viable legal routes for Indians facing capital punishment abroad.
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