New Delhi: An Indian woman sentenced to death in Abu Dhabi for allegedly murdering a four-month-old child was executed on February 15, the Delhi High Court was informed on Monday. The revelation came during the hearing of a petition filed by her father, who was seeking information about her well-being.
Justice Sachin Datta, after learning about the execution, called 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.
During the hearing, the petitioner’s counsel said the family only wanted to know if she was alive or had been hanged.
He mentioned that Shahzadi called her family from prison on February 14. She informed them she would be executed in a day or two and that it would be her last call. Since then, they had no information about her condition.
The Centre’s counsel told the court that embassy officials were in touch with the petitioner. He said arrangements were being made for the family to attend her last rites in Abu Dhabi.
“We did our best. We hired a law firm to represent her in court. But the laws there deal with the murder of an infant very severely,” he submitted.
The petition stated that on February 14, 2025, Shahzadi called her father from detention. She said she had been moved within the facility and wanted to speak with her parents before her execution.
Shabbir Khan later submitted an application to the MEA on February 21, 2025, seeking confirmation on whether his daughter was still alive or had been executed.
The woman, Shahzadi Khan, was handed over to Abu Dhabi police on February 10, 2023. She was sentenced to death on July 31, 2023, and was held in Al Wathba jail.
Her father, Shabbir Khan, a resident of Banda in Uttar Pradesh, said he had been seeking clarity on his daughter’s situation. He claimed that despite multiple applications to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), he received no clear response.
The petition alleged that Shahzadi was not properly represented in the local courts. It claimed she was pressured into confessing, which led to her death sentence.
Shahzadi had traveled to Abu Dhabi in December 2021 on a legal visa. In August 2022, her employer gave birth to a son, and she was hired as the child’s caregiver.
On December 7, 2022, the infant received routine vaccinations. He passed away the same evening.
The petition claimed that the infant’s parents refused to allow a post-mortem and signed an agreement waiving further investigation into the death.
Despite this, Shahzadi was arrested and later sentenced to death.
Her family continues to seek justice and closure after her execution.
(With PTI inputs)
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