UP Woman Shahzadi Khan Executed In UAE Without Keeping Indian Embassy In Loop; Family Alleges Injustice

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) informed the Delhi High Court on Monday that Shahzadi Khan, an Indian woman sentenced to death in Abu Dhabi for the death of an infant, was executed on February 15.

Shahzadi had been convicted of murdering the child, with the UAE's highest court, the Court of Cassation, upholding the death sentence.

UAE authorities confirmed the execution to the Indian Embassy on February 28, 2025, stating that it had been carried out in accordance with local laws. Her family was also informed, the MEA stated.

Upon receiving the update, Justice Sachin Datta described it as "very unfortunate." Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma told the court, "It is over. She was executed on February 15. Her last rites will be held on March 5," he added.

The information was presented during the hearing of a petition filed by Shahzadi's father, who had sought details about her well-being. The MEA further stated that the Indian Embassy had provided all possible legal support, including submitting mercy petitions and requests for clemency to the UAE authorities.

Who was Shahzadi Khan?

Shahzadi Khan, a 33-year-old woman from Banda district in Uttar Pradesh, was executed in Abu Dhabi following her conviction for the murder of a four-month-old infant in her care.

The UAE's Court of Cassation upheld her death sentence, and authorities notified the Indian Embassy on February 28, 2025 that the execution had been carried out.

According to a petition filed by her father, Shabbir Khan, Shahzadi had travelled to Abu Dhabi in December 2021 and began working as a caregiver for her employer's newborn in August 2022.

As reported by news agency PTI, the infant passed away on December 7, 2022 after receiving routine vaccinations. Despite a hospital's recommendation for a post-mortem examination, the parents declined and signed a waiver.

In February 2023, a video purportedly showed Shahzadi confessing to the crime; however, she later claimed the confession was extracted under duress through torture by her employer and their family. She was arrested on February 10, 2023 and sentenced to death on July 31, 2023. Her appeal in September 2023 was rejected, and the sentence was reaffirmed on February 28, 2024.

Shabbir Khan alleged that the Indian Embassy failed to support his daughter, accusing her legal counsel of coercing her into confessing.

He filed multiple clemency petitions, including one in May 2024 and another on July 11, 2024, but received no response.

On February 14, 2025, he received a call from Shahzadi, during which she hinted at her impending execution. Seeking answers, he formally approached the Ministry of External Affairs on February 20, 2025 but was given no information.

Following her execution, her father condemned it as an injustice, claiming the family was denied assistance from the Indian government.

Their legal representative, Ali Mohammad, described it as an "extrajudicial killing disguised as judicial execution."