Shahzadi Khan, Indian woman on death row in Abu Dhabi, executed

‘Unfortunate’, says HC

Shahzadi Khan was handed over to the Abu Dhabi police on February 10, 2023, and she was sentenced to death on July 31, 2023. She was lodged in the Al Wathba jail.

On being informed about the development, Justice Sachin Datta termed it "very unfortunate".

"It is over. She was executed on February 15. Her last rites will be held on March 5," Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma told the court and stressed that the government had tried its best to assist her.

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The submission was made during the hearing of the petition filed by the 33-year-old woman's father seeking to know her well-being. The woman was a native of Goira Mughlai village in Banda district of Uttar Pradesh.

Govt did not stand with us: Shahzadi's father

The Ministry of External Affairs said that the Indian Embassy provided all possible legal assistance to Shahzadi, including sending mercy petitions and pardon requests to the Government of the UAE. Her father, however, has alleged that his daughter was denied justice and that the Indian government did not extend any support to the family.

The family's legal counsel, Ali Mohammad, has termed the execution an "extrajudicial killing in the guise of judicial killing".

Speaking to PTI Videos, Shahzadi's father Shabbir Khan said, "She was not given justice, sir. We tried our best.”

"We approached the Indian government and submitted applications at multiple places but we had no money, no means to go there and hire a lawyer. The government did not stand with us," he said.

Family was unaware of execution

Shahzadi had been in Abu Dhabi police custody since February 10, 2023, and was sentenced to death on July 31, 2023. The news of her execution came to light during a Delhi High Court hearing on Monday when the MEA confirmed that she had been hanged last month.

Her last rites are scheduled to take place on March 5 in Abu Dhabi.

Shahzadi’s family was unaware of her execution until February 28, when they received the official confirmation. Shabbir Khan said the last time he spoke to his daughter was on February 14, just a day before she was hanged.

‘Modiji cannot understand this pain’

Asked whether the government had assured any support, he said, "No, we received no help whatsoever," adding that the family had reached out to politicians and even film personalities but to no avail.

Expressing his anguish, he remarked, "Yogi ji (UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath) and Modi ji (Prime Minister Narendra Modi) don't have daughters, they cannot understand this pain. If it had been someone close to them, they would have taken action."

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Shahzadi was convicted on charges of murder of an infant and sentenced to death in the UAE. The highest court of the UAE, the Court of Cassation, upheld the sentence, it said.

The UAE authorities intimated to the Embassy on February 28, 2025 that the sentence of Shahzadi has been carried out in accordance with local laws. The family of Shahzadi has been informed of the matter, the MEA said.

Family says Shahzadi was wrongly accused

Shabbir Khan recounted that his daughter had been working for an Abu Dhabi-based woman named Nazia who had recently given birth to a baby boy.

According to him, when the baby was four months old, he was administered a vaccine that is typically given at six months.

He alleged that the infant's death was caused by the vaccine, but Shahzadi was wrongly accused of murder and sentenced to death. He further claimed that the child's mother used her influence to ensure Shahzadi's conviction, leading to her execution.

Shahzadi's family counsel Ali Mohammad told PTI Videos on Monday that their latest petition before the Delhi High Court was filed solely to ascertain whether she was still alive or had been executed in Abu Dhabi.

He said Shahzadi's death penalty appeal was dismissed in February 2024, upholding her capital punishment. Following this, continuous efforts were made to push forward a mercy petition.

Last call on February 14

"We wrote to the Indian Embassy, the Prime Minister's Office and the Ministry of External Affairs, urging them to take the matter forward. But what happened in the end, we cannot say," he remarked.

According to Mohammad, Shahzadi's father received a phone call on February 14 informing him that this was her last conversation according to her wish and that she would be executed within a day or two.

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"We approached the Prime Minister's Office and the Ministry of External Affairs again on February 21, but no information was provided. After two to three days, we filed a writ petition in court, and today, we have received official confirmation that she has been executed. Her last rites will be performed in Abu Dhabi on March 5," he said.

Centre didn’t provide any help: Lawyer

Mohammad strongly refuted claims that the Indian government had provided any assurances or assistance.

"There was no such assurance in our petition, so there is no logic in the Centre's claim that it provided support," he said.

However, he acknowledged that the government had offered logistical assistance if family members wished to travel to Abu Dhabi for her last rites.

"But given today's shock, it is uncertain whether her father will be able to go," he added.

Mohammad also alleged that Shahzadi was framed through a flawed legal process.

"She repeatedly stated that her court-appointed lawyer tried to convince her to confess to the crime but she never did. However, once she was convicted, we managed to present our own lawyer who put forward strong documentation. Yet, despite our best efforts, we were unsuccessful, and her appeal was dismissed on February 28, 2024," he explained.

Hundreds of such cases

Describing the judgment as highly unfortunate, he said, "This was plain extrajudicial killing in the guise of judicial killing." He further pointed out contradictions in the judgment, stating, "If this had happened in India, the chain of evidence would have broken and it would have been a clear case for acquittal." Mohammad also stressed that Shahzadi's case was not an isolated one.

"There are hundreds of such cases and there is no one to question them," he remarked.

Shabbir Khan has now placed his hopes solely on the UP government, urging Adityanath to help secure justice for his daughter.

"I have no hope from the Centre anymore. My only request is to Yogi ji -- please get justice for my daughter," he said.

(With inputs from agencies)