Shahzadi Khan, a woman from Uttar Pradesh in India sentenced to death for killing a child in UAE, was executed on February 15, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) informed the Delhi High Court on Monday (Mar 3).

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Additional Solicitor General of India (ASG) Chetan Sharma stated that authorities are extending all possible assistance to her family, and her last rites would take place on March 5.

Her father, Shabbir Khan, had earlier approached the Delhi High Court on March 1, seeking a directive to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and appropriate authorities to issue a bulletin and ascertain information regarding the exact current legal status and well-being of his daughter.

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Who was Shahzadi Khan?

Shahzadi Khan, a 33-year-old caregiver from Uttar Pradesh's Banda district, was convicted by an Abu Dhabi court for the death of a child under her care. She was sentenced to death on July 31, 2023.

She was allegedly deceived by a fraudster and trafficked to Abu Dhabi, where she was implicated in the crime that she had consistently denied committing.

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According to her father’s petition, Shahzadi Khan moved to Abu Dhabi in December 2021 on a legal visa. Khan was promised treatment in the UAE for her burn injuries by a man named Uzair, whom she befriended on Facebook. The man claimed to be a social worker and a businessman from Agra in Uttar Pradesh.

“Uzair told her he would be able to get her better medical attention in the UAE and, circumstances permitting, even a job,” her father said. “He told her his uncle and aunt lived in Abu Dhabi and they could help with a tourist visa. And she could work for them while she was there.”

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Her father added that while she was hesitant, Uzair reassured her, saying that the visa was only for 90 days and she could return home after that.

However, after arriving in the Gulf country in November 2021, she discovered that her visa was for six months and that she had been “sold” to a married couple as a labourer for a hefty sum of money. There, she was tasked to look after the couple’s four-month-old baby.

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Things took a drastic turn when the baby died in February next year and Shahzadi was implicated by the couple, her father alleged.

She was “trapped and forced to sign a false confession” by the baby’s mother, which led to her wrongful conviction, said her father.

Her father was informed last year that she was imprisoned in Al Batwa jail and could be executed any day after September 20, 2024.

(With inputs from agencies)