New Delhi [India], March 2 (HBTV): The father of Shahzadi Khan, a woman from Uttar Pradesh facing a death sentence in the UAE, has approached the Delhi High Court seeking a directive to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to issue a bulletin and ascertain information regarding his daughter’s current legal status and well-being.

Shahzadi Khan, a 33-year-old resident of Banda district, has been sentenced to death by a court in Abu Dhabi for the death of a child under her care. She is currently imprisoned in Abu Dhabi’s Al Wathba jail.

The plea, filed through advocate Ali Md Maaz, states that Shahzadi Khan obtained a visa and traveled to Abu Dhabi in December 2021, transiting through Dubai. In August 2022, her employer gave birth to a son, for whom she was employed as a caregiver. On December 7, 2022, the infant received routine vaccinations and tragically passed away that evening.

According to the plea, the hospital recommended a postmortem, but the infant’s parents refused and signed a consent letter waiving further investigation.

In February 2023, a video recording allegedly showed Shahzadi Khan confessing to the infant’s homicide—a confession she claims was extracted through torture and abuse by her employer and their family. She was handed over to Abu Dhabi police on February 10, 2023, and sentenced to death on July 31, 2023.

The plea further alleges that while the Indian Embassy provided legal counsel, it pressured her to confess and denied her adequate representation. Her appeal in September 2023 was dismissed, and the death penalty was upheld on February 28, 2024.

Following the dismissal, her father, Shabbir Khan, sought clemency proceedings through the Indian Embassy but initially received a reply concerning an unrelated case. He filed a new mercy petition in May 2024 and forwarded another petition to the Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi on July 11, 2024, but received no response.

On February 14, 2025, Shabbir Khan received a call from his daughter, who suggested that her execution was imminent. He subsequently filed a formal request with the MEA on February 20, 2025, seeking an inquiry into her legal status and well-being but has not received any update.

(ANI)