Woman from Uttar Pradesh executed in UAE for alleged murder of 4-month-old child
PTC Web Desk: An Indian woman, Shehzadi Khan, a native of Banda district in Uttar Pradesh, was executed in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on February 15. Shehzadi had been convicted of murdering a four-month-old child and was lodged in a Dubai jail for two years before receiving a death sentence four months ago.
The Indian Embassy in the UAE was formally informed about the execution by the UAE authorities on February 28. On March 3, India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) submitted an official report to the Delhi High Court, confirming that Shehzadi’s last rites will be conducted on March 5. The ministry, along with the Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi, is assisting her family in travelling to Abu Dhabi for the funeral.
Two days before the MEA’s confirmation, Shehzadi’s father had filed a petition in the Delhi High Court, seeking the ministry’s intervention in his daughter's case. He claimed that his daughter had contacted him via phone on February 14, informing him that she was being transferred from prison to a hospital and that she was going to be executed. He had also submitted a mercy plea to the Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi, but no relief was granted.
Shehzadi Khan hailed from Banda in UP. Before moving to Dubai, she was reportedly involved with a social organisation named ‘Roti Bank.’ She had suffered severe facial burns as a child.
In 2021, Shehzadi came into contact with a man named Uzair from Agra through Facebook. Uzair allegedly deceived her by promising to help with medical treatment for her facial injuries. Under this pretense, he lured her to Agra and later, in November 2021, allegedly sold her to a Dubai-based couple, Faiz and Nadia, under the guise of medical assistance.
Shehzadi alleged that Faiz and Nadia subjected her to physical abuse and confinement. She was not allowed to leave the house and was frequently beaten. She had reportedly attempted to return to India but was prevented from doing so. The couple had a four-month-old child who was in poor health and later died.
Faiz and Nadia accused Shehzadi of murdering their baby, leading to her arrest in February 2023. The police reportedly obtained a video recording in which Shehzadi allegedly confessed to the crime. However, Shehzadi claimed that she was tortured into making the confession.
According to the petition filed on behalf of Shehzadi, the baby had received a routine vaccination on December 7, 2022, and died later that evening. The hospital had recommended a post-mortem examination to determine the cause of death, but the parents refused. Two months later, in February 2023, the couple filed a case against Shehzadi, leading to her arrest by Abu Dhabi police.
On July 31, 2023, the court sentenced Shehzadi to death. The verdict was upheld by an appellate court on February 28, 2024, sealing her fate.
Despite appeals and interventions, Shehzadi was executed on February 15. Her family, unaware of the execution at the time, was informed nearly two weeks later. Following the revelation, her father approached the Delhi High Court, urging the Indian government to step in.
With the execution now confirmed, the MEA and the Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi are working to facilitate her family's travel for her last rites on March 5.
- With inputs from agencies
