New Delhi, July 16 -- The execution of Nimisha Priya, an Indian on death row in Yemen for murdering a Yemeni national, has been postponed, people familiar with the matter said on Tuesday. Priya's death sentence was set to be carried out on July 16. "It has been learnt that the local authorities in Yemen have postponed the execution," one of the people cited above said on condition of anonymity. The Indian government made concerted efforts in recent days to seek more time for Priya's family to reach a "mutually agreeable solution with the other party", the people said without giving details. Indian officials have focused on efforts to prevent the execution through the Islamic tradition of "diyat", or paying "blood money" to the victim's family. "Despite the sensitivities involved, Indian officials have been in regular touch with the local jail authorities and the prosecutor's office, leading to securing this postponement," the person said. Priya is in a jail in Sana'a, which is under the control of Houthi rebels. India doesn't have a diplomatic presence in Yemen and the matter is being handled by diplomats in the mission in Saudi Arabia. The case has run into complications as the Indian side has no formal contacts with the Houthi rebels, and because efforts to secure Priya's release by paying blood money ran into problems. Priya was arrested in July 2017 for murdering a Yemeni man who was her business partner. She was sentenced to death by a Yemeni court in 2020 and the Supreme Judicial Council dismissed Priya's appeal in November 2023. The government had said earlier in Parliament that it is providing all assistance to the family of Priya. Her mother Premakumari travelled to Yemen last year to take up the negotiations for paying the blood money. She is being assisted in these efforts by a group of non-resident Indians in Yemen. Priya's husband Tomy Thomas, who works with a private firm in Coimbatore, expressed relief and hope following the decision. "I'm relieved. It's a foundation on which we can build and make efforts to pave the way for my wife's freedom..." he said. Thomas said he has been in regular touch with Priya over the past few years. "If a settlement can be reached via diya (blood money), she can be freed," he said, referring to the form of compensation paid to a victim's family in exchange for reprieve from punishment....