Indian Woman on Death Row in UAE Executed, Family Informed Late

New Delhi, 4th March 2025: An Indian woman, Shahzadi Khan, who had been sentenced to death in Abu Dhabi for the alleged murder of a four-month-old infant, was executed on February 15. The Indian government informed her family about the execution during a hearing in the Delhi High Court on Monday.

“She was executed on February 15. Her last rites will be conducted on March 5,” a government law officer informed Justice Sachin Datta. The court was hearing a plea from Shahzadi’s father, Shabbir Khan, who had approached the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) seeking information on his daughter’s whereabouts and well-being.

Family Unaware Until February 28
The MEA stated that the Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi was only notified of the execution on February 28. Expressing concern over the delay in communication, the court remarked, “This is very unfortunate.”

Meanwhile, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Chetan Sharma assured the court that both embassy officials and the petitioner’s family were in close contact and that arrangements were being made for Shahzadi’s family to attend her last rites in Abu Dhabi.

A Final Goodbye: Shahzadi’s Last Call
In Goyera Mughli village, Banda district, Uttar Pradesh, the phone rang on the evening of February 15. On the other end was Shahzadi Khan, making her last call.

“This is my final call,” she told her brother, Shamsher Khan. Holding the phone tightly, he asked her what she meant. “They asked me about my final wish. I said I wanted to speak to Ammi and Abbu,” she said.

MEA: We Tried Our Best
Defending the government’s efforts, ASG Chetan Sharma stated, “We did everything possible to help Shahzadi. A law firm was hired to represent her in court. However, in the UAE, cases involving the death of an infant are treated with extreme severity.”

The MEA explained that Shahzadi, aged 33, was convicted and sentenced to death for the murder of an infant, and that Indian authorities were only informed of the execution two weeks later.

“The Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi provided all possible legal assistance, including submitting mercy petitions and pardon requests to the UAE government,” the MEA said in a statement. “On February 28, UAE authorities officially informed the embassy that Shahzadi’s sentence had been carried out in accordance with local laws.”

Legal Battle and Allegations of Coercion
Shahzadi was arrested on February 10, 2023, and sentenced to death on July 31, 2023. Her family had repeatedly approached Indian authorities, arguing that she was not given adequate legal representation and was pressured into confessing—claims that they believe led to her conviction and sentencing.

Despite a review petition being filed and reports in mid-February that the case was still under consideration, the execution proceeded. The highest court of the UAE, the Court of Cassation, upheld her death sentence.

Her father, Shabbir Khan, had approached the Delhi High Court, expressing “profound uncertainty” over his daughter’s fate, stating that multiple requests to the MEA for clarification had gone unanswered.

While Shahzadi’s execution has now been confirmed, questions remain over the handling of her legal defense and delayed communication with her family. Her last rites are scheduled for March 5 in Abu Dhabi.