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 informed during a hearing on Monday regarding her father’s plea about her well-being.
Shabbir Khan, a resident of Banda in Uttar Pradesh, had filed a plea expressing deep uncertainty regarding his daughter Shahzadi’s fate, stating that his repeated requests to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) for updates had gone unanswered.
Shahzadi Khan was taken into custody by Abu Dhabi police on February 10, 2023, and sentenced to death on July 31, 2023. She had been held at Al Wathba prison.
In his plea, Khan revealed that on February 14, Shahzadi had called her family from prison, informing them that she would be executed within a day or two and that it would be her final call. Since then, the family has received no updates on her status.
The United Arab Emirates legally enforces capital punishment, with several crimes punishable by death under Emirati law. The only method of execution used is the firing squad.
Deceived by Uzair and sold into human trafficking
Even so, Shahzadi’s journey to the gallows was fraught with deceit and betrayal, much like her life before that, which was full of hardships. As a child, she suffered burn injuries while working in a kitchen. In 2020, Shahzadi, a resident of Goyra Mugli village in Banda, connected with Uzair from Agra through social media. He promised her a better future and treatment for her facial injuries, prompting her to travel to Agra with him in 2021
Uzair reportedly “sold” her to a couple from Agra, who later took her to Abu Dhabi. A case of human trafficking was registered at the Banda Judicial Magistrate Court against Uzair and the couple, who are now residing in Dubai.
In Abu Dhabi, Shahzadi was tasked with caring for the couple’s infant son. However, tragedy struck when the child unexpectedly passed away. The couple accused her of being responsible for their son’s death, leading to an investigation that resulted in her arrest and a subsequent death sentence. Following the verdict, her father, Shabbir Khan, sought help from both the district administration and the government to save her.
