India’s Diplomatic Defeat: UAE Executes Two More Indian Nationals After Shahzadi Khan

United Arab Emirates has yet again executed two more Indian nationals who were charged with murder. The Ministry of External Affairs has confirmed that Muhammed Rinash Arangilottu and Muraleedharan Perumthatta Valappil from Kerala, were convicted of murder and were sentenced to death by the country’s highest court.

The MEA said in a statement, “Two Indian nationals, Muhammed Rinash Arangilottu and Muraleedharan Perumthatta Valappil, were convicted on murder charges and handed out death sentences in the UAE. The highest court of UAE, the Court of Cassation, upheld the sentences”.

Rinash was a resident of Kannur district in Kerala. He was working at a travel agency in Al Ain when he was convicted for the murder of an Emirati national. According to reports, Rinash’s mother had submitted a petition to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, asserting that the incident was accidental. According to her plea, Rinash was trying to escape from the torture of a mentally challenged individual, and the death occurred while he was acting in self-defence.

According to the ministry, UAE authorities provided information on these executions to the Indian Embassy on February 28 2025.

“The Embassy provided all possible consular and legal assistance, including sending mercy petitions and pardon requests to the Government of UAE for the Indian nationals. The UAE authorities informed the Embassy on 28 Feb 2025 that these two sentences have been carried out,” the ministry said.

“The families of the concerned have been informed. The Embassy is in touch with them and facilitating their participation in the last rites. Burial of Muhammed Rinash Arangilottu, an Indian national, took place today. His family members were also present to pay their last respects and participate in prayers prior to his burial,” the XP division of ministry of external affairs added.

UAE had earlier executed Shahzadi Khan, a 33-year-old woman from Uttar Pradesh India on charge of a murder of a four-month-old child under her care. The officials had assured that Khan was also provided with all the possible legal and diplomatic aid. However, owing to the strict laws of the country, the ministry was unable to prevent the sentence.

Ineffective Diplomacy?

India’s largest export across the globe is that of human resource. It becomes essential for the country in this case, to ensure that its citizens are protected and safe when they work in other countries.

There are more than 3 million Indian nationals who have migrated to the gulf nations for work. The ministry releasing a statement that despite all the efforts made by the government, the execution of these individuals could not be prevented, reflects the ineffectiveness of the country’s diplomatic relationship with UAE. This does not bode well for the safety of other Indian nationals who are working in various parts of the world.

India has shone significantly over the last decade with regards to its international relations and diplomacy. With the Prime Minister and External Affairs Minister of India visiting different countries and working towards improving relations with their global counterparts, Indians living abroad were supposed to feel more safe and secured. But these incidents show a different picture. It poses a question – whether all of the efforts made by India are effective? Does the government of India have no influence at all? If it does, then why was it not used to help these people? And how will the government approach this issue with the government of UAE?

Before the execution of Shahzadi Khan, there were 29 Indians that were facing death sentences in the UAE. It is to be seen how the Government of India will work to ensure that these citizens get all the help possible, to help them avoid the fate of Khan, Rinash, and Valappil.