Shahzadi Khan death: 'This is my last call' - Last wish of Indian woman executed in UAE

Shahzadi Khan - a 33-year-old woman from the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh - was executed in UAE on February 15 for allegedly killing an infant. She was asked to make a last wish before the execution. She said she wanted to speak to her parents. A call was placed to her home in UP's Banda district and the first sentence she told her family was - "This is my last call".

"They asked me about my final wish, I asked to speak to ammi and abbu," she further told her brother Shamsher on the call, Times of India (TOI) reported.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

Shamsher said that was her last sentence. They did not hear from her afterwards.

The family tried everything they could to save her from the punishment by the Abu Dhabi government.

"We filed a writ petition in Delhi high court, where we were informed Monday about her execution," the brother said on Monday (March 3).

"Her last rites will be held on March 5," additional solicitor general Chetan Sharma said in court.

"Shahzadi had childhood burn scars on her face," her brother said. She was raised as an underconfident and self-concious person.

"She wanted to have them removed," Shamsher further told TOI.

The false promise

A man named Uzair reached out to them via social media and claimed that he would help Shahzadi remove her facial scars using plastic surgery in UAE. She, along with her family, agreed on the false promises.

In 2021, Shahzadi reached Abu Dhabi on a legal visa. But Uzair sent her to his relative Faiz's house to work as a domestic helper. She was confined to do household work - and there was no surgery or transformation.

In August 2022, Faiz and his wife welcomed a son and Shahzdi was assigned to take care of the baby. On December 7, the four-month-old child received a routine vaccine and on the same night, he died.

Faiz and his wife accused Shahzadi of killing their newborn baby. She was handed over to Abu Dhabi police in February 2023 and was sentenced to death on July 31, 2023.

"Uzair deceived my sister with false promises, taking ₹3 lakh in cash and jewellery from her while also collecting the same amount from his UAE relative to provide them with a maid," he said.

"She was a victim, not a criminal. She was innocent," Shahzadi's brother said.

"She only wanted to fix her scars," he added.

(With inputs from agencies)