Indian woman facing death row in UAE for killing a child has been executed: Foreign ministry tells court

The 33-year-old woman hailed from Uttar Pradesh's Banda district and was facing execution in Abu Dhabi over an allegation of killing a four-month-old child.

Shahzadi Khan was executed on February 15, 2025, under the laws and regulations of the UAE, the Foreign Minister told the court.

Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Chetan Sharma said the Indian embassy in UAE received an official communication about Khan's execution from the government on Feb 28.

"Authorities are extending all possible assistance and her cremation is scheduled for March 5, 2025," he added.

This came after Khan's father Shabbir Khan approached the court seeking information regarding his daughter's current legal status and well-being.

Following the Ministry's submissions, the court disposed of the plea calling it a "sad and unfortunate" incident.

Shahzadi Khan case

Shahzadi Khan was arrested in Abu Dhabi's 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 a caregiver. The infant passed away on December 7, 2022, after receiving routine vaccinations.

The plea mentioned a video recording, that allegedly showed Khan confessing to the infant's homicide in December 2023, was extracted through torture and abuse by her employer.

The infant's parents refused consent for a postmortem and signed an agreement to waive further investigation into the death.

Khan alleged that the Indian Embassy did provide his daughter with legal counsel and that she was pressured into confessing to homicide and denied her adequate representation.