Shahzadi Khan, a caregiver from Uttar Pradesh’s Banda district, was executed in the UAE on February 15 for the death of a child under her care. The news of her execution came to light during a Delhi High Court hearing on Monday when the Ministry of External Affairs confirmed that she had been hanged last month.
Shahzadi, 33, was executed nearly two years after she was sentenced to death on July 31, 2023.
Shahzadi’s family alleged that she was not given 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”.
The Indian Embassy, in a statement, said it provided all possible legal assistance to Shahzadi, including sending mercy petitions and pardon requests to the Government of the UAE. “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,” XP Division, MEA, said.
Shahzadi Khan’s family alleged that Nazia pinned the blame for the infant’s death on Shahzadi and 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.
VIDEO | On Shahzadi Khan death sentence case in UAE, advocate Ali Mohammad Maaz informs, “Shahzadi was convicted, we had applied for clemency. The matter was going on, we had written an e-mail to officials of Abu Dhabi to file a letter for clemency as per their formats. On 14… pic.twitter.com/kpxxxO2QGK
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) March 3, 2025
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.
“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.