New Delhi: Shahzadi Khan, an Indian woman who was facing a death sentence in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has been executed, India's Ministry of External Affairs informed the Delhi High Court, this week. The 33-year-old woman from Uttar Pradesh's Banda district was facing execution in Abu Dhabi over an allegation of killing a four-month-old child.
Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Chetan Sharma said the Indian embassy in UAE received an official communication about Khan's execution from the government on February 28. "Authorities are extending all possible assistance and that her cremation is scheduled for March 5, 2025," he added.
This came after Khan's father Shabbir Khan approached the court seeking to access information regarding the exact current legal status and well-being of his daughter.
Shahzadi Khan was imprisoned in Abu Dhabi's Al Wathba jail and was sentenced to death for the death of a child who was under her care. According to Shabbir Khan's petition, his daughter travelled to Abu Dhabi in December 2021 after obtaining a legal visa.
In August 2022, her employer gave birth to a son for whom Khan was employed as a caregiver. The infant passed away on December 7, 2022, after receiving routine vaccinations.
The plea also mentioned a video recording which allegedly showed Khan confessing to the infant's homicide in December 2023. However, it claimed that the confession was extracted through torture and abuse by her employer and family. Khan's appeal in September 2023 was dismissed, and the death penalty was upheld on February 28, 2024.
