Time is running out for an Indian woman who, about 12 years ago, killed seven members of her family in a crime described by media as "gruesome and horrific." Her child, whom she gave birth to in prison, has pleaded with authorities for mercy on her behalf. According to CNN, the tragic and bloody incident occurred on April 15, 2008, in the village of Pawan Khiri, located in Uttar Pradesh, northern India.
Court documents indicate that Shabnam Ali, who was 22 years old at the time of the crime, was involved in a romantic relationship with a young man named Salim, but her family did not approve of their relationship for social and class reasons. The documents also revealed that neighbors rushed to the house in the early hours of the morning, responding to terrifying screams. Latifullah Khan was among the first to arrive at the two-story family residence, finding Shabnam unconscious on the floor near the body of her father, Shaukat Ali, who had been decapitated. Following this, the police found the bodies of Shabnam's brothers, mother, sister-in-law, and a 14-year-old cousin in a blood-soaked room, their heads nearly severed. Meanwhile, her infant nephew, who investigations later revealed had been strangled to death, was found sleeping among the bodies of his parents.
If Shabnam's death sentence is carried out, she would be the first woman executed in India in 66 years, the first being Ratan Bai Jain, who was executed in 1955 after being convicted of killing three girls. At the time Shabnam committed her crime, she was eight weeks pregnant by her lover Salim; however, the defense team denied that she was aware of her pregnancy, claiming she discovered it during a routine medical examination after her arrest. The prosecution, however, argued that the pregnancy could be one of the main reasons for the crime, as the lovers sought to inherit the family's wealth and establish a comfortable life together.
Media reports indicate that Salim participated in the crime by purchasing sleeping pills, which he obtained through a friend, for Shabnam to use to sedate her family before he arrived with an axe to carry out the mass killings. Her son, who goes by the name Beetu (a pseudonym), is now 12 years old, having been born in prison and spending his first six years there with his mother. He is currently living with an adoptive family, as Indian law does not allow a mother to live with her child in prison after the child turns six.
As her execution approaches, Shabnam's legal team is trying to halt the execution, arguing that she is also a victim, with lawyer Shreya Rastogi stating that her client has not yet confessed to the crime and is a victim of a patriarchal society.
