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 over the death of an infant, was executed on February 15.
Shahzadi was convicted of murdering the child and sentenced to death, a ruling that was upheld by the UAE’s highest court, the Court of Cassation. UAE authorities notified the Indian Embassy on February 28, 2025, confirming that the execution had been carried out in accordance with local laws. Her family was also informed, the MEA stated.
Upon hearing the update, Justice Sachin Datta called it “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 submission came during the hearing of a petition filed by Shahzadi’s father, who sought information about her well-being. The MEA also said that the Indian Embassy had extended all possible legal assistance, including filing mercy petitions and pardon requests with the UAE government.
Who was Shahzadi Khan?
Shahzadi Khan, a 33-year-old woman from Banda district in Uttar Pradesh, was executed in Abu Dhabi after being convicted of murdering a four-month-old child under her care. The UAE’s highest court, the Court of Cassation, upheld her death sentence, and authorities informed the Indian Embassy on February 28, 2025, that the execution had been carried out.
According to a plea filed by her father, Shabbir Khan, Shahzadi travelled to Abu Dhabi in December 2021 and began working as a caregiver for her employer’s newborn in August 2022, according to news agency PTI. The infant died on December 7, 2022, after receiving routine vaccinations. Despite a hospital’s recommendation for a postmortem, the parents refused and signed a waiver.
In February 2023, a video allegedly showed Shahzadi confessing to the crime, but she claimed the confession was coerced 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 upheld on February 28, 2024.
Shabbir Khan accused the Indian Embassy of failing to support his daughter, alleging that the legal counsel pressured 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 got a call from Shahzadi, hinting at her imminent execution. Seeking clarity, he formally approached the Ministry of External Affairs on February 20, 2025, but received no update.
Following her execution, her father called it an injustice, claiming the family was denied support from the Indian government. Their legal counsel, Ali Mohammad, described it as an “extrajudicial killing disguised as judicial execution.”
(With PTI, ANI inputs)