New Delhi: Shahzadi Khan, a 33-year-old Indian woman from Uttar Pradesh’s Banda district, has been executed in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) over allegations of murdering a four-month-old child under her care. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) informed the Delhi high court of her execution on Monday.
Khan, who had been on death row in Abu Dhabi’s Al Wathba prison, was executed on February 15, 2025 in accordance with UAE laws. The Indian Embassy in the UAE received confirmation from local authorities on February 28, and her cremation is scheduled for March 5.
The development came to fore after her father, Shabbir Khan, approached the HC seeking information about his daughter’s legal status and well-being. The court, acknowledging the ministry’s submissions, termed the incident “sad and unfortunate” and disposed of the plea.
Conviction and allegations of forced confession
Shahzadi Khan travelled to Abu Dhabi in December 2021 on a legal visa and was employed as a caregiver in August 2022. The incident occurred on December 7, 2022, when the child she was tending to reportedly passed away after receiving routine vaccinations.
According to Shabbir Khan’s petition, the infant’s parents initially refused a post-mortem and signed an agreement waiving further investigation. However, a year later, in December 2023, a video surfaced allegedly showing Shahzadi confessing to the child’s murder. Her father claimed that the confession was extracted through torture and coercion by her employer’s family.
Shahzadi was arrested on February 10, 2023 and sentenced to death on July 31, 2023. Her appeal was rejected in September 2023, and the death sentence was reaffirmed on February 28, 2024.
Legal and diplomatic efforts
Shabbir Khan further alleged that his daughter was denied proper legal representation and was pressured into confessing by the Indian Embassy’s legal counsel. He submitted a mercy petition to the Indian Embassy on July 11, 2024 but received no response.
According to reports, on February 14, 2025, a day before her execution, Shahzadi made a final phone call to her father, indicating that her execution was imminent.
