• Source:JND
Add as a preferred

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) informed the Delhi High Court that Shahzadi Khan, a 33-year-old woman from Uttar Pradesh, was executed in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on February 15, 2025. The Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Chetan Sharma also stated that her cremation is scheduled for March 5 in Abu Dhabi and that the authorities are extending all possible assistance to her family.

Shahzadi Khan, a native of Banda district, had been sentenced to death for the alleged homicide of an infant under her care. She had been incarcerated at Abu Dhabi’s Al Wathba jail since February 2023. The MEA assured the court that it would facilitate her family’s involvement in the last rites, acknowledging the sensitivity of the case. The Delhi High Court, led by Justice Sachin Datta, disposed of the plea filed by Shahzadi’s father, Shabbir Khan, who had sought the government’s help in determining her legal status.

Case Against Shahzadi Khan

Shahzadi Khan had moved to Abu Dhabi in December 2021 on a work visa, with a transit in Dubai. In August 2022, her employer gave birth to a child, and Shahzadi was employed as the infant’s caregiver. On December 7, 2022, the infant received routine vaccinations but tragically passed away that evening. According to the plea filed by her father, the hospital recommended a postmortem, but the parents refused further investigation, signing a consent letter to waive it.

However, in February 2023, authorities claimed to have obtained a video in which Shahzadi allegedly confessed to the homicide. She later stated that this confession was forced under duress and abuse by her employer’s family. On February 10, 2023, she was handed over to the Abu Dhabi police and was sentenced to death on July 31, 2023. Despite being assigned legal counsel through the Indian Embassy, Shahzadi’s family alleged that she was pressured into confessing and denied adequate legal representation.

Her appeal was dismissed in September 2023, and the death penalty was upheld on February 28, 2024. Following this, her father sought clemency proceedings through the Indian Embassy but received a response regarding an unrelated case. He then filed a fresh mercy petition in May 2024, but it did not lead to any relief.

Despite multiple legal efforts, Shahzadi’s execution proceeded on February 15, 2025. The MEA’s recent statement to the Delhi High Court confirmed her execution and assured support to her family for the repatriation of her remains.