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Nimisha Priya Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated September 12, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth1 January 1989

Age34 Years (as of 2023)

BirthplaceThekkinchira, Kollengode, Palakkad, Kerala, India

ProfessionNurse

NationalityIndian

Marital statusMarried

SpouseTomy Thomas

FamilyDaughter - Michelle Tomy Thomas; Mother - Premakumari

Nimisha Priya Biography

Nimisha Priya is an Indian nurse from Kerala who worked in Yemen. Her case drew international attention after Yemeni courts convicted her in a 2017 killing

Early life and background
Nimisha Priya was born on 1 January 1989 in Thekkinchira, Kollengode, in the Palakkad district of Kerala, India. She is Malayali by ethnicity and practices Christianity. Her listed hometown is Kollengode. Physical details in public records note black hair and black eyes. Her mother’s name is Premakumari, and Nimisha is reported to have no siblings.

Career
Professionally, Nimisha worked as a nurse. After completing her education in Kerala she moved to Yemen, where she was employed at hospitals and later ran a small clinic. Sources indicate she relocated to Yemen around 2011–2012. In Yemen she continued nursing work while her husband, Tomy Thomas, initially worked abroad and later in Yemen at a petrol pump; the family’s financial struggles affected their living arrangements and movements between Yemen and Kerala.

Personal life and family
Nimisha is married to Tomy Thomas, who is identified as an autorickshaw driver. The couple have a daughter, Michelle Tomy Thomas. Reports state that Tomy returned to Kerala in 2014 with their daughter while Nimisha remained in Yemen to continue working. Premakumari, Nimisha’s mother, has been publicly involved in efforts to assist her daughter.

Events in Yemen and legal case
While in Yemen Nimisha established a clinic with involvement from local partners. A man named Talal Abdo Mahdi is described in reports as having provided support to the clinic but later became a source of dispute and alleged harassment. According to accounts presented during reporting, tensions arose over clinic ownership, financial matters, and alleged coercive behavior toward Nimisha.

On 25 July 2017, an incident at Nimisha’s home resulted in the death of Mahdi. Reports state that Mahdi collapsed after receiving an injection of ketamine and later died. The body was discovered in parts in a nearby water tank; Nimisha and a Yemeni colleague were arrested in August 2017 and charged in connection with the death and the subsequent disposal of the body.

In August 2020 a Yemeni court sentenced Nimisha to death and her colleague to life imprisonment. An appeal court upheld the death sentence on 7 March 2022 while noting that, under applicable law, the sentence could be averted if the victim’s family chose to pardon the convict, potentially involving payment of blood money. In April 2022 reports indicated the victim’s family had demanded compensation in Yemeni rials. Nimisha’s appeal to the Supreme Court of Yemen was rejected on 13 November 2023. It was reported that only the President of Yemen could grant a pardon in her case.

Public profile
Nimisha’s case attracted attention in India and among diaspora groups. A forum named Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council was formed in 2020 seeking legal and diplomatic assistance on her behalf. A delegation involving family members and lawyers attempted to engage with the victim’s family to negotiate possible settlement terms, although visa issues impeded travel. Indian legal representatives and activists also engaged with the matter, and public appeals were made to Indian authorities. In November 2023, an Indian parliamentarian wrote to the Prime Minister seeking intervention.

Latest updates
As of November 2023, the Supreme Court of Yemen rejected Nimisha’s appeal against the death sentence. Discussions and efforts by family members, legal counsel, activist networks, and political representatives have been reported as ongoing, with the possibility of presidential pardon or familial pardon under Yemeni law remaining the relevant legal avenues.
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Recent Work

Nursing and clinic work in Yemen

Worked as a nurse and operated a small clinic in Yemen prior to arrest

2011–2017
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Career Highlights

  1. Moved from Kerala to Yemen and worked as a nurse
  2. Established and operated a small clinic in Yemen
  3. Subject of a high-profile criminal case culminating in a death sentence upheld by Yemeni courts
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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Nimisha Priya born?

1 January 1989

What is Nimisha Priya known for?

Nurse

What is Nimisha Priya’s marital status?

Married

Who is Nimisha Priya married to?

Tomy Thomas