Dubai: Crying bitterly in court on Thursday, a babysitter denied charges that she strangled her sponsor’s 11-month-old daughter with a scarf.

Prosecutors are seeking capital punishment for the 30-year-old Indian babysitter, R.T., who faces charges of pre-meditated murder.

The incident in January was allegedly an act of revenge because the accused was denied leave.

The defendant had earlier entered a not-guilty plea before the Dubai Court of First Instance.

During Thursday’s hearing and shortly after her court-appointed lawyer presented a written defence, presiding judge Ezzat Abdul Lat asked R.T. if she had any final word to say.

The defendant replied: “Sir, I did not kill that baby … I loved her like my own children. I am a mother of two kids and there is not way on earth I would or could have done such a thing. I was tortured while I was in detention. I have suffered a lot because of this case. I swear I did not commit anything wrong.”

Crying bitterly before the three-judge panel, the babysitter asked presiding judge Lat for mercy and to be acquitted so she could be reunited with her children.

According to records, R.T. waited until her sponsor and his wife left for work before she roped the infant’s neck with a shayla and smothered the baby to death.

Prosecutors accused R.T. of premeditated murder and have asked for the implementation of a capital punishment against her, as per article 332 of the Federal Penal Code.

Her lawyer argued that the victim did not commit the crime and that she treated the infant nicely.

The lawyer asked the court to acquit his client or grant her leniency.

Towards the end of her spoken argument, the defendant was seen crying more and emotionally distressed when she repeatedly said: “I did not kill her.” A policewoman was spotted approaching her from behind and patting on her shoulder asking her to calm down and accompany her outside the courtroom.

The infant’s British aunt said her sister [the baby’s mother] requested her over the phone to go to her house and check on the baby because she was in a bad condition.

“I reached the flat within 10 minutes … the child was not breathing. I rushed her to hospital where I was told that she had died. The suspect was silent when she sat in the back seat and carried the baby while I drove hospital,” said the aunt.

When questioned by prosecutors, the defendant was cited admitting that she killed the victim with the shayla and her hands because she wanted to travel home