Death Penalty Exposure Case – Multi-Accused Matter, Sharjah

In 2010, 17 Indian nationals were sentenced to death by a Sharjah Shariah court for the 2009 murder of a Pakistani national — the largest number of death sentences handed down at once in the history of the country at that time. Adv. Bindu was appointed by the Hon'ble Consulate of India and Indian Embassy to represent the accused. In September 2011, the Sharjah Appeal Court revoked the death sentences. Arguments raised included the validity of confessions made before the police, fair trial thresholds, critical flaws such as the lack of Punjabi-speaking translators (the proceedings being in Arabic), and the failure to present murder weapons as evidence. As a Senior Associate at Mohamed Salman Advocates and Legal Consultants, she was the lead legal representative and managed the complex appeals process through the Appellate Court. She initially refused early settlement proposals in court, maintaining that justice was on the accused's side, and later represented the men in a Dh1.5 million civil compensation suit — a final hurdle before they could return to India.

Key Legal Dimensions

Outcome

All seventeen accused were acquitted.