Al Haqeeqa
The ministry of external affairs (MEA) informed the Delhi High Court on Monday, March 1 that Shahzadi Khan, a Uttar Pradesh woman sentenced to death in the UAE for allegedly killing a child, was executed on February 15.
Her father, Shabbir Khan, had approached the Delhi High Court on March 1, seeking a directive to the MEA and other authorities to ascertain her legal status and well-being. The additional solicitor general Chetan Sharma stated that officials had extended all possible assistance and confirmed that her burial is scheduled for March 5.
Who Was Shahzadi Khan?
Shahzadi Khan, a resident of Banda district in Uttar Pradesh, was convicted of the murder of a four-month-old child and had been imprisoned in Abu Dhabi’s Al Batwa jail. Her father, Shabbir Khan, maintained that she was wrongfully implicated.
According to Shabbir, his daughter had suffered facial burns as a child and had worked with the ‘Roti Bank of Banda’ organization during the COVID-19 lockdown. In 2021, she befriended Uzair, a resident of Agra, on Facebook. Uzair allegedly convinced her to travel to Dubai under the pretense of receiving medical treatment.
Once there, she was reportedly handed over to his relatives, including his uncle Faiz, aunt Nazia, and Nazia’s mother-in-law, Anjum Sahana Begum.
Shabbir alleged that Nazia gave birth to a son, who died at the age of four months and 21 days, after which Shahzadi was accused of the infant’s murder. He claimed his daughter was “trapped and forced to sign a false confession” to protect the actual culprits.
Appeals for clemency ignored
In 2024, Shabbir Khan had appealed to President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, requesting intervention for his daughter’s release. However, no clemency was granted.
Shahzadi was held in Al Batwa jail and faced execution anytime after September 20, 2024. Despite her family’s last-ditch efforts, her sentence was carried out on February 15.
