Family accuses Centre of concealing Shahzadi Khan's execution in UAE

“I don’t have any time left, Abba. My time is over...I don’t know if I’ll be able to make another call.”

These were the final, heart-wrenching words of 33-year-old Shahzadi Khan, spoken to her father on the night of February 14, 2025. Less than 24 hours later, she was executed in an Abu Dhabi prison—alone, far from home, and without her family being informed.

For nearly three weeks, her loved ones clung to hope, waiting for a voice that had already been silenced. It was only when they pursued legal action in court that the truth emerged — a truth buried in bureaucratic silence.

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Family kept in dark

Shahzadi’s last phone call to her family lasted just 10 minutes. “Don’t hold anything in your heart. This is my last wish,” she told them, while her mother, in distress, pleaded for her forgiveness. Then came silence — no word from the Indian embassy, no letter, no call, only an unbearable void stretching across continents.

Her father, Shabbir Khan, growing increasingly desperate, approached the Delhi High Court and filed a writ petition on February 24. It was only on February 28 that he was officially informed of his daughter's execution, alleges Shahzadi’s lawyer, Ali Mohammad Maaz.

The writ petition was subsequently quashed on March 3 as Shahzadi had already been executed weeks earlier.

‘Government hid truth from us’

“Not only did the Indian government abandon my daughter when she needed them most, but they also hid the truth of her execution from us,” Shabbir Khan told The Federal. “Had we not gone to court, we would still be waiting for her call. How can they justify this?”

His lawyer, Maaz, went a step further, accusing the government of deception. “The Indian government did not just fail to protect Shahzadi; it knowingly withheld information about her execution. It is difficult to believe that in a case that had garnered significant media attention, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) remained unaware of her execution on February 15. The government needs to come clean,” he asserted while in conversation with The Federal.

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Maaz also pointed to multiple tweets from ANI and other prominent media outlets, citing government sources even after February 15, falsely claiming that Shahzadi was still alive. “Not only did they hide the truth, but they actively misled the public and a grieving family,” he said.

Life lost to broken system

Shahzadi left her hometown of Banda in December 2021, hopeful for a better future. She had lost her job at an NGO in Agra during the COVID lockdown, and an online acquaintance promised her employment in Abu Dhabi. She believed in the opportunity she was presented.

Months later, her life took a tragic turn. A four-month-old infant in the household where she worked died following a routine vaccination. Initially, the parents signed documents stating they would not pursue legal action, and no post-mortem was conducted. However, two months later, circumstances changed dramatically.

“They accused my daughter of murder. They forced her to confess on video, made her sign a document in Arabic that she did not understand, and trapped her in a legal battle she could not navigate,” Shabbir recounted. “We had no money, no connections, no means to help her.”

Shahzadi was arrested in February 2023, convicted in July and her death sentence was upheld in early 2024. Throughout her ordeal, the Indian embassy remained absent when it mattered most.

‘Where was Indian embassy?’

Imprisoned in Al-Wathba prison, Shahzadi made occasional calls home. “She told us she was starving — she was given only rice and chicken, nothing else. She was suffering,” her father recalled.

Despite their desperate pleas, the Indian embassy provided little assistance, he said. “We made hundreds of calls, but nobody answered. They assigned her a lawyer, but he never defended her — he only told her to confess. It was a complete betrayal,” Maaz said.

Even after her death, the betrayal continued, the family believes. The MEA only acknowledged her execution after being compelled to do so by a court notice. “The Indian embassy in Abu Dhabi knew she had been executed but allowed her family to live in false hope. Is this how the Indian government treats its citizens?” Shabbir asked.

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Unanswered questions

“There are too many unanswered questions,” said Maaz. “What legal assistance did the Indian embassy provide? Who was assigned as Shahzadi’s lawyer, and how often did they appear in court? Did she ever receive proper consultation before her trial? If the embassy was aware of her case, why was her family kept in the dark? Did they file a mercy petition, and if so, where is the rejection order? The embassy had a duty to intervene and protect her rights, yet they chose silence.”

Shabbir Khan’s voice trembled with grief and anger. “My daughter was executed, and we weren’t even informed. Why did they hide it from us? Why was her burial delayed for 20 days when Islamic law dictates an immediate burial? Why didn’t the Indian government fight for her? The embassy must provide all records of her case, return her belongings, and answer for their negligence. And what about other Indians in foreign jails? Will they also be abandoned like my daughter?”

Official enquiry

Maaz and the family are demanding an official inquiry into Shahzadi’s case, full disclosure of judicial records, and a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into those responsible for sending her to Abu Dhabi under false promises.

They are also calling for a structured legal aid system for Indian nationals facing legal troubles abroad. “This cannot happen again,” Maaz declared. “The government must ensure that Indian citizens are protected, not abandoned.”

With Shahzadi gone, her family is left with grief and questions that remain unanswered. “She was abandoned in life, and she was abandoned in death,” Shabbir whispered. “No one heard her cries. No one will hear ours.”

But her family refuses to let her story be buried in silence. They demand accountability and a commitment that no other Indian worker will suffer the same fate. “We will not stop until we get justice,” said Maaz. “This cannot be allowed to happen again.”

Silence raises further questions

The Federal reached out to MEA spokespersons Randheer Jaiswal and Vasu Dev Ravi, but neither responded to calls nor emails. This article will be updated if a response is received.

Legal experts find it difficult to believe that Abu Dhabi authorities would not have informed their Indian counterparts about the execution immediately after it took place.

Lawyer’s view

Senior Supreme Court lawyer Sanjay Hegde, speaking to The Federal, explained: “In such cases, a legal counsellor appointed by the embassy monitors the proceedings closely. It is hard to believe that the Indian High Commission was informed about the execution 13 days after it occurred.”

However, the MEA has consistently maintained through official communications that it had officially been informed about Shahzadi Khan’s execution on February 28, and conveyed the information to her family thereafter.