UP woman on death row in UAE executed on Feb 15: MEA informs Delhi HC

UP woman on death row in UAE executed on Feb 15: MEA informs Delhi HC

UP woman on death row in UAE executed on Feb 15: MEA informs Delhi HC ByShruti Kakkar Mar 03, 2025 05:06 PM IST Share Via Copy Link The ministry submitted that they and the Indian embassy in Abu Dhabi would render assistance for travel of her family members to Abu Dhabi to perform the last rites to be held on March 5

The Union ministry of external affairs on Monday informed the Delhi high court that Shahzadi Khan, who was facing death sentence in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), for the death of a child under her care, was executed on February 15.

Before her death, she was lodged in the Al Wathba central jail. (Delhi High Court website)

The 33-year-old woman caregiver, a resident of Uttar Pradesh’s Banda district, travelled to Abu Dhabi on a tourist visa on 19 December 2022. After arriving in Abu Dhabi, she stayed with a couple who arranged a caretaker visa for her and employed her to take care of their infant son.

In February 2023, she was handed over by the couple to the Abu Dhabi police, accusing her of their infant’s homicide. She was sentenced to death on July 31, 2023, by the court of first instance, which was upheld by the appellate court on February 28, 2024. Before her death, she was lodged in the Al Wathba central jail.

The ministry represented by additional solicitor general (ASG) Chetan Sharma submitted before a bench of justice Sachin Datta, that the ministry and the Indian embassy in Abu Dhabi would render assistance for travel of her family members to Abu Dhabi to perform the last rites to be held on March 5.

Also Read: UP man moves Delhi HC seeking MEA’s response on daughter’s death sentence in UAE

The law officer further submitted that the ministry had however undertaken all the efforts to save the woman, by hiring a law officer for representation.

Taking note of the contention, though the court termed the death as “unfortunate”, it disposed of the petition filed by Shahzadi’s father— Shabbir Khan, seeking directions to the Centre and the embassy to ascertain his daughter’s current legal status.

“It’s very unfortunate. She’s no more. I’ll record that,” justice Datta remarked.

In his petition before the court, Shahzadi’s father, had asserted that pursuant to a telephonic communication from her daughter on February 14, who reported an intra facility transfer and imminent execution, he had filed a formal request with the union external affairs ministry seeking inquiry into her daughter’s legal status and well being on February 20, the ministry failed to ascertain the same.

It went on to add that following the appeal’s dismissal, he had written to the Indian embassy in Abu Dhabi for commencement of clemency proceedings as per Abu Dhabi law, but nothing happened.

Khan’s plea further stated that the infant had passed away in December 2022, after receiving routine vaccinations and the hospital had strongly recommended a postmortem to determine the cause of death, the parents refused the same. However, a purported video recording was obtained in which his daughter allegedly confessed to the homicide.

This confession, the plea argued, was extracted involuntarily through torture, battery, humiliation and abusive conduct.