Vipin Bhati, Nikki’s 28-year-old husband, set her ablaze allegedly over an altercation on her desire to work and be on social media.
Disturbing details and triggering visuals from the dowry death case of Uttar Pradesh’s Greater Noida have sparked massive outrage, with growing calls for justice for 28-year-old Nikki Bhati, who was allegedly set ablaze by her husband and in-laws on August 21.
Four people, Nikki Bhati’s husband, mother-in-law, father-in-law and brother-in-law, who was married to her own sister, have been arrested so far in connection with the case.
Vipin Bhati, Nikki Bhati’s 28-year-old husband, set her ablaze allegedly over an altercation on her desire to post reels on social media and reopen a beauty parlour she used to run, police said on Sunday.
– Years of abuse: Nikki and her sister Kanchan had both married into the Bhati family in 2016 of Greater Noida’s Sirsa and reportedly endured relentless abuse – routine beatings, dowry demands, and sabotage – throughout their marital life. Nikki returned home multiple times after being assaulted but was convinced to return each time in hopes of reconciliation, as mentioned in an earlier HT report. Other reports said that despite lavish dowry gifts (a Scorpio SUV, Royal Enfield, cash, gold), the cruelty escalated, culminating in a deadly dowry demand of ₹36 lakh more.
– Final trigger: The final trigger for Nikki Bhati’s murder after a snowballed dowry dispute was her desire to work. At around 3:30 pm on August 21, Nikki told her husband, Vipin Bhati, that she wanted to reopen her beauty parlour with her sister. The couple had been fighting frequently, and Vipin objected to her presence on Instagram and her ambition to restart work, police said on Sunday.
– Vipin doused flammable liquid, set Nikki her ablaze: When Nikki insisted, arguing that no one could stop her, Vipin snapped. Police say he doused her with flammable liquid and set her ablaze inside their home. She died hours later in a Delhi hospital. “Vipin told her that in their family, posting reels on Instagram and running a parlour were not allowed. The issue turned ugly, and he started assaulting her,” Kasna station house officer Dharmendra Shukla said.
– Triggering visuals surface: In one of the most chilling aspects of the case, the murder was recorded on video. Clips widely shared on social media claim to Vipin pouring liquid on Nikki as she sat helplessly on the floor. Another clip shows him assaulting her, and a third, captures a horrifying moment of Nikki engulfed in flames, rushing down a staircase. The family claims these videos were recorded deliberately by Nikki’s sister, Kanchan, who was also present in the house, to document years of abuse. These visuals have not only shocked the nation but have become crucial evidence in a case now symbolic of India’s persistent dowry violence epidemic.
– Vipin shows no remorse: Vipin Bhati, police said, has shown no remorse. During interrogation, he reportedly told police, “Husband and wife fights are normal.” Vipin Bhati was arrested on Saturday after getting injured in a police encounter. An investigator cited in the earlier HT report, requesting anonymity, said, “It was revealed that after torching his wife, the suspect immediately fled his home and went to his relatives’ house. The relationship between husband and wife had soured to its peak in the fortnight leading up to the incident.”
– ‘Nothing left’, wrote Vipin on social media: Multiple screenshots of Vipin’s social media account went viral on Sunday. In one of the posts, he mentioned “nothing left” while posting his photo with Nikki. In another post, he stated that “people are calling him a murderer.”
– Sisters’ social media presence: The sisters – Nikki and Kanchan – were active on their Instagram and YouTube channels, running them for the parlour under the handle “Makeover by Kanchan.” The Instagram account had 54,500 followers till Sunday, while Kanchan had 22,000 followers on her personal account. Nikki, whose account was private, had 1,147 followers. They were actively posting videos and content, and had over 2.9 million views.
– Victim’s family kept quiet to avoid social defamation: Nikki’s brother Vicky said they had kept quiet for years to avoid social shame – but now, they want the entire Bhati family behind bars. Nikki’s father-in-law even fled from the van when he learned of her death. A total of four family members are now booked for murder, conspiracy, and assault under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. But the public wants more—an example made out of this brutal killing.
– Outrage: As details of the case unfolded, public outrage surged, both online and offline. Kanchan, herself a social media creator with thousands of followers, launched the “Justice for Nikki” campaign, sharing what the sisters had endured behind the closed doors of a joint family.
– Cases filed, arrests so far: A case under Section 103 (murder), Section 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), and Section 61(2) (criminal conspiracy) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) was registered at Kasna police station against the victim’s husband Vipin Bhati, father-in-law, Satyaveer Bhati, mother-in-law Daya Bhati and brother-in-law Rohit Bhati. Police have arrested all of them.
Article source: hindustantimes.com
