The tragic case of Shahzadi Khan, an Indian caregiver who had been on death row in the United Arab Emirates, has come to a heartbreaking conclusion. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) informed the Delhi High Court that Shahzadi was executed on February 15 in Abu Dhabi. Her grieving family, desperate for information, was assured that her last rites would be performed on March 5, with full support from the Indian government to facilitate the process.
Shahzadi, a 33-year-old woman from Uttar Pradesh’s Banda district, had traveled to Abu Dhabi in December 2021 on a legal visa, seeking better opportunities. In August 2022, she was hired as a caregiver for an employer’s newborn child. However, just a few months later, the child tragically passed away on December 7, 2022, the same day he had received routine vaccinations.
Her father, Shabbir Khan, had long maintained that his daughter was wrongfully convicted. He claimed that the child’s parents had initially refused a postmortem examination and had signed an agreement waiving further investigation. Yet, weeks later, Shahzadi was arrested and charged. He alleged that a video in which his daughter appeared to confess was made under duress and that she was subjected to torture by her employer’s family. He also accused legal representatives from the Indian Embassy of coercing her into admitting guilt and failing to provide her with proper defense.
After her sentencing in July 2023, Shahzadi fought for justice, but her appeal was rejected in September 2023, and the death sentence was upheld in February 2024. Her father submitted a mercy petition in July 2024, hoping for diplomatic intervention, but no response came. On February 14, 2025, just a day before her execution, she made one final call to her father from prison, hinting at the grim reality that awaited her.
The Delhi High Court, while acknowledging the MEA’s update, expressed its condolences to the family and called the situation “unfortunate” before closing the case. However, the pain remains for those left behind. For her father, the execution of his daughter is not just a legal outcome but a deeply personal and devastating loss. He had fought tirelessly for transparency and fairness, believing until the very end that his daughter deserved a chance to prove her innocence.
This case raises difficult questions about the treatment of migrant workers, the fairness of legal proceedings abroad, and the role of diplomatic intervention in protecting Indian citizens facing extreme sentences. For now, though, a grieving father prepares to say a final goodbye to his daughter, carrying with him the unanswered questions that will haunt him
forever.
