Who is ‘Grand Mufti of India' who helped halt Kerala nurse Nimisha Priya's execution in Yemen

A 94-year-old Muslim cleric Kanthapuram AP Aboobacker Musliyar, popularly known as the Grand Mufti of India, has emerged as a key figure in halting the execution of Indian nurse Nimisha Priya in Yemen. Belonging to Kerala's Kozhikode, Musliyar—officially named Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad—is one of South Asia’s most influential Islamic scholars, especially among the Sunni Muslim community. Although the title "Grand Mufti of India" is not government-sanctioned, it holds significant religious weight, and Musliyar is recognised as the 10th person to hold the title.

Who is Nimisha Priya?

Nimisha Priya was raised in Kerala in a family of daily wage workers. She was trained as a nurse and in 2008 sought better opportunities in Yemen. Over the years, she practiced medicine in several hospitals, and in 2014, she opened her own clinic in partnership with Yemeni national Talal Abdo Mahdi - something that foreign nationals were required to do to start working in the business in Yemen. Nimisha and Mahdi soon had tensions, and after major disputes, Nimisha was said to lodge a complaint against Mahdi, leading him to be jailed temporarily before being released. Nimisha's family claimed that Mahdi had taken her passport and had continued to intimidate her. To get her documents back, Nimisha had allegedly put a sedative into him, but it was enough to lead to his death from overdose. She was arrested in 2018 in an attempt to escape Yemen after the incident, and she was later convicted of murder, which under Yemeni law is punishable by death.

Intervening with Faith and Diplomacy

With Yemen's capital Sana'a under the control of Houthi rebels—and India lacking formal diplomatic ties with the group—the case became increasingly complicated for Indian authorities.

Amid these hurdles, Musliyar utilised his religious standing and scholarly networks to reach out to Islamic authorities in Yemen, initiating discussions grounded in Sharia law’s concept of clemency. Under Islamic jurisprudence, the victim's family has the right to grant a pardon in exchange for "blood money" (monetary compensation), even in murder cases where a death sentence has been awarded.

“Islam has another law. If the murderer is sentenced to death, the family of the victim has the right to pardon,” Musliyar explained to ANI, adding, “I don’t know who this family is, but from a long distance, I contacted the responsible scholars in Yemen… Islam is a religion that places a lot of importance on humanity.”

Following his appeals, Yemeni scholars deliberated and agreed to postpone Priya’s execution, giving room for continued negotiations between the victim’s family and Indian mediators, including Priya's mother, who is currently in Yemen pursuing reconciliation.

Musliyar confirmed that Yemeni religious leaders sent an official document confirming the delay in Priya’s execution, marking a hopeful turn in the case. He has shared these developments with the government and sent a formal letter to the Prime Minister’s Office.

A Life of Religious Leadership and Controversy

As the chairman of Markaz Knowledge City, a large educational and cultural township project in Kozhikode, Musliyar oversees institutions including law and medical colleges. He is a regular figure in Islamic scholarly councils across India and frequently travels to the Gulf and Southeast Asia for religious talks and conferences.

He has also occasionally drawn criticism—for instance, discouraging women from participating in anti-CAA protests while still opposing the law itself.