Twist in Nikki Bhati 'dowry' murder case after 9 months, family settles with in-laws

NIne months after 28-year-old Greater Noida occupant Nikki Bhati died of terrible glow injuries in her put up, her fellowship has reached a settlement with her in-laws, who are accused of setting her on fire for dowry, the woman’s father said on Wednesday.Nikki’s parents-in-law agreed to transfer property to her son as part of the settlement, her father Bhikari Singh told HT.“Yes, we have reached a settlement. They have transferred the properties to Nikki’s son,” he said.ALSO READ | Mind the Gap: The death and life of Nikki BhatiKey witness turns hostileThis came as the Uttar Pradesh government counsel said Nikki’s sister, Kanchan – who was married into the same family and is the prime witness in her sister’s murder – turned hostile before a local court in Noida about 20 days ago. The next hearing is scheduled on June 10.Kanchan, who was living with her parents in Roopvas village, will move in with her husband in a new house in Dadri, said Singh.“There will be no interference from her in-laws in Kanchan’s married life,” he said.How did Nikki Bhati die?The settlement marks a sensational twist in a case that rocked the National Capital Region (NCR). Bhati died in Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital on August 21 last year, allegedly after her husband Vipin Bhati and his mother Daya Bhati poured an inflammable liquid on her and set her ablaze in their Greater Noida house, according to Kanchan’s police complaint.ALSO READ | CCTV, eye-witness cited as HC grants bail to mother-in-law in Nikki Bhati murder caseKanchan also alleged that her husband Rohit Bhati and father-in-law Satveer watched on, adding that they beat her when she attempted to step in.However, Kanchan, in her latest statement, has told the court that nobody was in the house when the incident took place.Police investigationNoida police filed an FIR on August 22and investigations revealed that Vipin and the in-laws were against Nikki’s plan to reopen a salon she used to run. They were also reportedly angered by her social media activity, especially on Instagram, which she used to promote the salon.Police filed a case under sections 103 (murder), 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), and 61(2) (criminal conspiracy) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against Vipin, Rohit, Satveer, and Daya at the Kasna police station. Vipin was arrested after a gunfight on August 24. His mother was arrested the same evening. Satveer and Rohit were held the next day. Investigators on November 20 filed a 173-page chargesheet, accusing all four of murder.A government counsel involved in the case said Kanchan “turned hostile a few weeks ago.”“Kanchan told the court that no one was inside the house when the incident took place. Nikki’s husband Vipin, father-in-law, mother-in-law, and sister-in-law were outside. So far, only her statement has been recorded,” said the counsel, who asked not to be named.“We will continue to fight the case, but when the prime victim turns hostile, it weakens the case,” the counsel added.Rohit was granted bail on January 7 this year, followed by Satveer on January 28, and Daya on February 13. Vipin remains jailed in Luksar prison.Vipin’s advocate, Amit Bhati, confirmed that Kanchan recorded her statement before the court.“We are fighting the case on merit. Based on the evidence, we will file a bail application for Vipin in the high court within a week,” he said.Police unaware of compromiseA police officer involved in the investigation said they were not informed about the settlement.“They (Nikki’s family) did not provide anything in writing to the police regarding their compromise. We filed a chargesheet based on their allegations, and now the case is between the court and the families,” said the officer, who asked not to be named.Police also said in their 173-page chargesheet, accessed by HT, that after scanning CCTV footage during the investigation, police also found that father-in-law Satveer and mother-in-law Daya were not at home at the time of the incident. They further found that Rohit’s mobile location was near the Sirsa toll plaza.