A day after the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) told the Delhi High Court that Uttar Pradesh resident Shahzadi Khan was executed in Abu Dhabi on February 15, the family of the 33-year-old woman is now writing to the Ministry seeking details of the legal options explored by the Indian government for their daughter. The father of the woman, Shabbir Khan, said he would fight a legal battle for all Indians working abroad and facing a similar fate like his daughter.
Shahzadi was accused of murdering the four-month-old son of her employer, Nazia and Faiz, in Abu Dhabi in October 2022. The court of Cassation upheld her execution in February 2024.
“My daughter told me that the lawyer provided to her by the Indian embassy kept asking her to confess the crime of killing the baby, falsely promising her release upon such admission. My daughter vehemently refused to accept the crime she had not committed,” said Mr. Khan.
He said Shahzadi, in her last call to the family on February 14, had asked them to forgive Uzair, the man who introduced her to her employers in Abu Dhabi and promised her a better future through the job.
“It was during COVID times, our family was suffering from acute financial problems. This is when she met Uzair, an Agra resident, through social media. He promised her a job in Abu Dhabi and told her that she will be able to fund her facial surgery from the money she will earn abroad as her face was 80% burnt in an accident she faced at the age of eight,” Mr. Khan said.
He added that he approached Uzair and even the family of his daughter’s employer Nazia to help Shahzadi, but they refused.
The MEA had told the High Court that the Ministry was mulling to facilitate the family’s travel to Abu Dhabi in case they want to attend the last rites of their daughter which is scheduled on March 5. Mr. Khan has ruled out this option.
“We have no money to afford for flight tickets,” Mr. Khan said, and questioned if the Indian government, which failed to save his daughter, can’t even bring back her body.
“My daughter is gone forever but I will dig deeper into the cause of what led to her execution so that many Indians who work abroad can be saved,” he added.
Sources in the MEA said every possible legal option within the laws of Abu Dhabi was explored by the Indian Embassy. Mercy-pardon petition was filed by the embassy which was rejected.
Published – March 04, 2025 09:30 pm IST