New Delhi, August 22, 2025
The Supreme Court on Friday issued notice on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by evangelist and peace activist Dr. K.A. Paul, who appeared as party-in-person, seeking a short-term media gag order in the case of Nimisha Priya, the Malayali nurse facing death row in Yemen.
The matter came up before a Bench of Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta, which directed notice to the Attorney General and fixed the hearing for Monday, August 25.
Dr. Paul, clarifying his petition, told the Court that his request was limited in scope. “I am only asking for a three-day or one-week restraint from discussing this matter, as per Nimisha’s request. Let the government speak, but not those individuals who keep making false claims in the media,” he said.
The PIL contends that excessive media speculation risks obstructing sensitive diplomatic and spiritual negotiations currently underway, involving Indian officials, community leaders, and religious figures working to secure relief under Yemeni law.
Welcoming the Court’s intervention, Dr. Paul described it as “another important step in my ongoing efforts to ensure justice and national interest are protected.”
This is not the first time Dr. Paul has approached the judiciary. Earlier, he had filed a petition against betting applications, which eventually led to the Union Government introducing and Parliament unanimously passing a Bill banning such apps. Expressing his gratitude, he said he was thankful to the Bench led by Justice Surya Kant, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and Members of Parliament for their “decisive action to protect millions of Indian youth from the harmful effects of betting.”
He further appealed to film celebrities to exercise restraint, stressing that endorsements of betting platforms must be avoided as they encourage practices detrimental to society.
